Arch Biopartners

What Arch Biopartners does

Arch Biopartners is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2010 and headquartered in Toronto, Canada, listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (ARCH) and OTCQB (ACHFF). The company develops novel therapeutics targeting acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), anchored on the DPEP-1 (dipeptidase-1) inhibition pathway. Its scientific foundation draws on research from the University of Calgary's Snyder Institute, where Co-Founder and CSO Dr. Daniel Muruve leads the underlying biology. The company operates with a small team of 1-10 employees and has approximately 67.9 million common shares outstanding as of April 2026.

Arch's pipeline includes two Phase II-stage drug candidates: LSALT peptide (also referred to as Metablok), a proprietary DPEP-1 inhibitor being evaluated for cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI), and cilastatin, a repurposed drug licensed from Telara Pharma (Spain) in April 2021 that is being evaluated in the 700-patient PONTiAK Phase II trial for toxin- and drug-induced AKI. In September 2025, the company expanded into chronic kidney disease through the acquisition of Lipdro Therapeutics Inc., adding a pre-clinical platform targeting IL-32. The platform is supported by composition-of-matter and method-of-use patents covering LSALT peptide, the licensed cilastatin rights, and the newly acquired IL-32 CKD IP.

The company is pre-revenue and funds operations through a combination of small non-brokered private placements, Canadian federal grants (notably CAD $4M from NRC IRAP in 2023 and CAD $750K from CIHR in 2021), and equity issuance. Clinical execution is currently distributed across nine trial sites globally, four in Canada and five international. The business model assumes future monetization through licensing, partnership, or direct commercialization of assets following Phase II/III readouts, rather than near-term product sales. Governance was strengthened in 2024-2025 by the appointment of Dr. Patrick Vink as Chairman, bringing senior commercial drug-development experience from Cubist Pharmaceuticals and Merck.

Name

Arch Biopartners

Legal name

Arch Biopartners Inc.

Website

https://archbiopartners.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Arch Biopartners is a Toronto-based, pre-revenue clinical-stage biotech developing DPEP-1 inhibiting therapeutics (LSALT peptide, cilastatin) for acute kidney injury and a recently acquired IL-32 platform for chronic kidney disease, conducting Phase II trials across nine global sites.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Kidney Disease Therapeutics

NAICS

Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (3254), Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Rare Renal & Nephrology Disorder Therapies (HLAIAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nephrology & Urology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAM), Nephrology & Urology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAH), Engineered Protein Therapeutics (de novo/AI-designed proteins, novel scaffolds) (HLAAAAAJ), Therapeutic Peptides & Protein/Peptide Biologics (HLAAAAAH)

Keywords

• Acute kidney injury therapeutics
• Chronic kidney disease treatments
• DPEP-1 inhibitor drugs
• Clinical stage biotech
• Anti-inflammatory peptide drugs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Drug Development and Commercialization: Pre-revenue clinical stage biotech company. Revenue will be generated from commercialization of drug candidates LSALT peptide and cilastatin upon regulatory approval. Both drugs target acute kidney injury (AKI), a condition affecting over 10 million people annually in the U.S. and Europe, with an estimated worldwide market over $20 billion USD per year.
2. Private Placements: The company raises capital through non-brokered private placement offerings of common shares to fund operations and clinical trials. Recent financings include $600,000 CAD (April 2026), $600,000 CAD (November 2025), and $500,000 CAD (November 2025).
3. Government Grants and Funding: Non-dilutive funding from government agencies including NRC IRAP ($4 million in 2023) for clinical development activities and CIHR Team Grants ($750,000 in 2021) for pre-clinical and clinical trial design research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arch Biopartners is a clinical-stage therapeutic biotech company developing novel, on-target drug candidates for acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Its portfolio includes two lead DPEP-1 inhibitors in Phase II trials (LSALT peptide / Metablok for cardiac surgery-associated AKI and Cilastatin for toxin-induced AKI), plus a pre-clinical CKD platform targeting IL-32. The company acquires and develops these products and technology for sale to pharmaceutical companies.

Product overview

Arch Biopartners is a therapeutic biotech company developing a pipeline of novel, on-target drugs for kidney injury and disease. The company's portfolio spans both acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) through three main programs: (1) LSALT Peptide (Metablok), a first-in-class DPEP1 inhibitor in Phase II trials for cardiac surgery-associated AKI; (2) Cilastatin, a repurposed DPEP1 inhibitor in Phase II trials targeting toxin-induced AKI; and (3) a pre-clinical CKD Platform targeting IL-32 for chronic kidney disease. The company also holds patents for both LSALT peptide and cilastatin as AKI treatments through the DPEP1 pathway.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Metablok: Brand name for LSALT peptide drug candidate
• PONTiAK

Products and services

• LSALT Peptide (Metablok) A first-in-class DPEP-1 inhibitor peptide designed to protect the kidneys from ischemia-reperfusion injury during cardiac surgery. Currently in a global Phase II trial (CS-AKI) evaluating its ability to prevent acute kidney injury in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery, with a recruitment target of 240 patients.
• Cilastatin A repurposed DPEP-1 inhibitor being evaluated for its ability to block toxic drug uptake into the kidneys and prevent toxin-induced acute kidney injury caused by antibiotics, chemotherapeutics, and contrast agents. Currently in the Phase II PONTiAK trial (700 patients, CIHR/ACT funded).
• CKD Platform (IL-32 Targeting) A pre-clinical research platform targeting IL-32, a non-classical cytokine directly implicated in diabetic kidney disease, the leading cause of kidney failure worldwide. The platform aims to develop novel, on-target therapeutics for chronic kidney disease based on research linking IL-32 to tubular injury in diabetic kidney disease.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74% lower risk of AKI in randomized controlled trials (cilastatin)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Fraser Health AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2026Clinical Trial Agreement enabling Royal Columbian Hospital to begin recruitment for Phase II trial evaluating LSALT peptide for cardiac surgery-associated AKI. Royal Columbian Hospital is the ninth site activated globally and fourth in Canada for the trial.
• Lipdro Therapeutics Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Acquisition completed to strengthen company's position in kidney therapeutics and add breakthrough platform for developing new drugs targeting chronic kidney disease (CKD Platform).
• Telara PharmacoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 15 April 2021Worldwide exclusive license agreement for clinical development and marketing of cilastatin for treatment and prevention of acute kidney injury. Telara Pharma, a spin-off from Hospital General Gregorio Marañón in Madrid, Spain, provides Phase I safety data and established cilastatin drug manufacturing program. Patents unified with Arch's existing patent portfolio.
• Hospital General Gregorio Marañón (Madrid, Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 April 2021Public research hospital whose Nephrology Service (led by Drs. Alberto Tejedor and Alberto Lazaro) discovered the nephroprotective effect of cilastatin, resulting in patents for treatment of kidney damage caused by drugs and sepsis. Spin-off company Telara Pharma created to bring cilastatin to clinical use.
• University of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore scientific research partner. Scientific team led by Dr. Daniel Muruve (CSO) and Dr. Justin Chun (Principal Scientist, CKD Platform) from the Cumming School of Medicine. Research established DPEP-1 pathway as therapeutic target for kidney inflammation.
• Toronto General Hospital (UHN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhase II clinical trial site evaluating LSALT peptide for preventing AKI in on-pump cardiac surgery patients. Part of ongoing multi-center trial with recruitment target of 240 patients.
• St. Michael's Hospital (Unity Health Toronto)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhase II clinical trial site for LSALT peptide, third Canadian site to recruit patients. Ethics approval received December 2025; commenced patient dosing March 2026.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AM-Pharma: Clinical-stage biotech developing recombinant alkaline phosphatase for acute kidney injury; one of the most direct comparables to Arch's AKI-focused pipeline (acquired by Pfizer in 2022 in a deal valued at ~$1.3B).
• Guard Therapeutics: Clinical-stage biotech developing RMC-035 (a small protein/peptide) for prevention of cardiac surgery-associated AKI; directly competes with Arch's LSALT peptide in the CS-AKI indication.

Emerging players

• Angion Biomedica: Clinical-stage biotech focused on acute and chronic kidney injury with small-molecule and biologic candidates; comparable as a kidney-injury focused developer at similar development stage.
• Travere Therapeutics: Late-stage clinical and commercial biotech with kidney disease programs (sparsentan/Filspari in IgA nephropathy and FSGS); overlaps with Arch on CKD therapeutics targeting rare kidney disorders.
• Chinook Therapeutics: Clinical-stage nephrology biotech acquired by Novartis for up to ~$3.5B in 2023; pursued IgA nephropathy and other rare kidney diseases, validating big-pharma appetite for kidney assets at Arch's stage.
• Aurinia Pharmaceuticals: Commercial-stage biotech with voclosporin (Lupkynis) approved for lupus nephritis; comparable business model targeting inflammatory kidney disease with a small specialty-pharma footprint.
• ProKidney: Clinical-stage biotech developing cell therapy (REMDEL-001) for chronic kidney disease; overlaps with Arch's CKD Platform in targeting disease progression in advanced CKD patients.

Broad incumbents

• Bayer (Nephrology Franchise): Markets finerenone/Kerendia for CKD associated with type 2 diabetes; a large incumbent with adjacent kidney-disease franchise that could be a future acquirer or competitor to Arch's CKD program.
• AstraZeneca Rare Disease (Alexion): Major rare-disease player with established nephrology portfolio (e.g., ravulizumab in atypical HUS); a logical acquirer profile and broad benchmark for nephrology commercial economics.
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Investing in kidney disease via its CMK-039 / APOL1 inhibitor program in collaboration with CRISPR Therapeutics; relevant as a well-capitalized incumbent expanding into nephrology and validating strategic interest in the space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arch-biopartners-inc-foiff-
• Xx.com/archbiopartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arch Biopartners