Metablok is our lead drug candidate for treating inflammation in the lungs, liver and kidneys.
Arch Biopartners is now focused on beginning a Phase II Trial to investigate Metablok’s efficacy in treating inflammation-related lung injury in COVID-19 infected patients. In the worst cases of COVID-19 infection, fatalities are often linked to severe lung inflammation due to viral pneumonia, and subsequent respiratory failure.
Arch believes Metablok has the potential to deliver a major breakthrough in the treatment of diseases where inflammation plays a major role. We are currently pursuing clinical development of Metablok to treat acute injury in the lung, kidney and liver caused by inflammation. In March 2020, we announced that we had successfully met the primary endpoints of safety and tolerability at the conclusion of a Phase I Human Trial conducted in Australia.
The video segments presented below are produced using Intravital Microscopy to observe the real-time effects of Metablok when used to reduce inflammation in mouse models.
METABLOK Treating Lung Inflammation - Intravital Microscopy after LPS (2020)
METABLOK Treating Liver Inflammation - Intravital Microscopy after LPS (2020)
METABLOK Treating Kidney Inflammation - Intravital Microscopy after IRI (2019)
Completion of Phase I Human Trials
In March 2020, Arch announced the completion of our Phase I Trial conducted in Australia, designed to evaluate Metablok’s safety and pharmacokinetic profile. The Phase I trial was then extended to include an additional eight healthy volunteers. This final group received the highest daily dose of Metablok tested to date, for three consecutive days and met the primary endpoints of safety and tolerability.
In pre-clinical studies, Arch scientists have demonstrated Metablok’s ability to block the inflammatory response triggered in the lung and liver with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammation and in the kidney with ischemia/reperfusion (IRI) induced injury. Currently, there are no specific or effective treatments to prevent acute kidney injury.
Intellectual Property
MetaBlok was invented by Arch scientists Dr. Stephen Robbins, Dr. Donna Senger, Dr. Jennifer Rahn and their University of Calgary colleague, Dr. Paul Kubes. The inventors have assigned the Metablok intellectual property to the Company.
Inflammation Based Disease
Inflammation is a localized physical condition that involves the activation of the immune system in response to infection, tissue injury, or autoimmunity. Inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases and contributes to organ dysfunction and failure.
Metablok was originally invented to prevent organ inflammation related to sepsis.
Sepsis represents a large unmet medical need in the world today. Sepsis alone occurs in 1 to 2% of all hospitalizations in the US. It affects at least 700,000 individuals per year.
Permanent organ damage can occur in patients who survive sepsis. Under current standard of care, mortality rates are over 20% for sepsis and over 50% for septic shock.
