Turkish Ministry of Health Approves Increase in Patient Recruitment into the Phase II Trial for LSALT Peptide

TORONTO, March 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc. (“Arch” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF), announced today that it received approval from the Turkish Ministry of Health, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (MoH) to recruit up to twenty additional patients into the Phase II trial of its lead drug LSALT peptide (Metablok), targeting acute lung injury and acute kidney injury caused by inflammation in patients with severe cases of COVID-19.

The approval from the MoH doubles the number of patients allowed into the Turkish arm of the trial from twenty to forty. The first twenty patients in Turkey have already been recruited into the trial and have completed treatment. Patient recruitment is expected to resume this week in two hospital sites in Istanbul and Ankara.

Recent data have shown a second surge in new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in Turkey, with a new pandemic high of over 32,000 daily infections reported on March 29, 2021. Turkey experienced a similar surge in daily infections during December 2020. Hospitalization rates are currently at approximately 1% of infected cases, once again putting a strain on the Turkish hospital system.  

Patient recruitment in this 60-patient phase II trial continues in four clinical sites in Canada and the USA, with 46 patients recruited to date between North America and Turkey.

“We appreciate the support of the Turkish Ministry of Health and the enthusiasm of our clinical sites in Turkey to recruit more patients into our trial during this difficult pandemic,” said Richard Muruve, CEO of Arch.

About the Phase II trial for LSALT Peptide

The Phase II trial is an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof of concept study of LSALT peptide (Metablok) as prevention of organ inflammation known to trigger acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or new variants of the virus. ARDS is the leading cause of death in COVID-infected patients. AKI has been observed in approximately 35% of patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and is also a leading cause of mortality.¹