CINCINNATI, OH, USA I May 22, 2018 I Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB:ARPO), today announced the initiation of dosing in a Phase 1a, multiple-ascending dose study of the Company’s hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) stabilizer, AKB-4924.

AKB-4924 is a once-daily, oral, gut-restricted HIF-1 alpha stabilizer that has been shown to improve disease indices in multiple models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). “Unlike other HIF stabilizers that mainly affect HIF-2 and stimulate erythropoiesis, AKB-4924 is unique in that it preferentially stabilizes HIF-1 alpha, which has a profound anti-inflammatory and mucosal healing effect. These properties make it an ideal candidate for the treatment of IBD,” said Kevin Peters, MD, Aerpio’s Chief Scientific Officer.

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of multiple daily doses of AKB-4924 in healthy volunteers. The single-center pharmacokinetic and safety study is expected to enroll 24 subjects into 3 dose cohorts, randomized 3:1 to receive either AKB-4924 or placebo orally once daily for 8 days.

About Aerpio Pharmaceuticals

Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing first-in-class treatments for ocular diseases. The Company’s lead compound, AKB‐9778, is a small molecule activator of the Tie2 pathway and is in clinical development for diabetic retinopathy. For more information please visit www.aerpio.com.

About AKB-4924

AKB-4924, a selective stabilizer of HIF-1 alpha, is being developed for the treatment of IBD. HIF-1 alpha is involved in mucosal wound healing and the reduction of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract. We have completed a single ascending dose clinical trial of AKB-4924 in healthy volunteers to date.

SOURCE: Aerpio Pharmaceuticals