Arch Biopartners Engages Private Laboratory to Accelerate IL-32 Chronic Kidney Disease Program

TORONTO, July 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc. (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF) today announced that it has engaged a U.S.-based laboratory specializing in bioengineering to accelerate the Company’s pre-IND IL-32 chronic kidney disease (“CKD”) program.

The U.S.-based lab was selected for its core competencies in the areas required to support the IL-32 program. It will perform studies on behalf of Arch to generate proprietary data and support the Company’s patent portfolio covering its IL-32 drug candidates and related method-of-use claims. These studies represent the next stage of drug development following the identification of IL-32 as a potential therapeutic target in diabetic kidney disease.

“This research contract is an important step in advancing the Company’s IL-32 CKD drug development program,” said Richard Muruve, Chief Executive Officer of Arch Biopartners. “This work will help move the program forward while building a proprietary body of data to support the Company’s development and partnering strategy.”

Arch’s CKD program is focused on diabetic kidney disease (“DKD”), a leading cause of kidney failure in the United States.¹ The program is supported by findings from human kidney tissue and disease models linking IL-32 to lipid droplet biology, inflammation and tubular injury in DKD.

Peer-reviewed findings published in Inflammation Research in February 2026 provided further evidence of IL-32’s association with metabolic stress, chronic inflammation and kidney injury in DKD. These findings support the Company’s rationale for developing therapies designed to target IL-32.

Other Corporate News: Update on Market-Making Engagement

Arch also announced today that it entered into an agreement with Red Cloud Securities Inc. (“RCSI”), effective April 2022, after the market-making team servicing Arch at Research Capital Corporation (“RCC”) moved to RCSI. RCSI assumed the agreement with Arch and has continued to provide market-making services in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (“TSXV”).

Under the agreement, RCSI is entitled to a monthly cash fee of C$5,000, payable from the Company’s general working capital. The agreement currently continues on a month-to-month basis and may be terminated by either party by providing 30 days’ written notice. As the agreement is month-to-month, there is no fixed aggregate cost. RCSI will not receive shares, options or performance-based compensation in connection with the services.

As part of the services provided to the Company, RCSI uses its own funds to trade common shares of Arch on the TSXV with the objective of maintaining an orderly market, improving liquidity and minimizing price volatility. RCSI provides all funds and any securities used in connection with the market-making activities. Neither Arch nor any person related to Arch provides funds or securities for those activities.

RCSI acts at arm’s length from the Company. RCSI and its principals have no direct or indirect interest in the securities of Arch, nor any right or intent to acquire such an interest, other than securities that may be acquired in the normal course of market-making activities.

The Company’s ongoing engagement of RCSI remains subject to approval by the TSXV.

About Red Cloud Securities Inc.

Red Cloud Securities Inc. is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. RCSI is registered as an Investment Dealer in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan and is a member of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (“CIRO”).

RCSI is focused on providing comprehensive capital markets services and innovative financing alternatives to the junior resource sector. The firm was founded by capital markets professionals to serve small public and private companies. Its integrated platform provides a range of corporate access and capital markets services to issuer clients.

RCSI is wholly owned by Red Cloud Mining Capital Inc.

About Arch Biopartners

Arch Biopartners Inc. is a therapeutic biotechnology company developing novel drugs for acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). The Company is advancing an integrated program that includes new treatments targeting inflammation- and toxin-related kidney injury.

Arch’s development pipeline includes:

LSALT peptide: in a Phase II trial targeting cardiac surgery-associated AKI.
Cilastatin: a repurposed drug in a Phase II trial targeting toxin-induced AKI.
CKD Platform: next-generation therapeutics targeting chronic kidney disease.

These assets represent distinct, mechanism-based approaches focused on protecting the kidney from different causes of damage. Chronic kidney disease affects more than 800 million people worldwide,² while acute kidney injury adds a further significant burden. Together, Arch’s programs target unmet needs across both acute and chronic kidney disease. Both Phase II programs are currently enrolling patients at Canadian clinical sites, with additional North American sites in development.

For more details about the Company’s science and ongoing clinical trials, please visit www.archbiopartners.com/our-science

Follow Arch on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and X (formerly Twitter) for company updates and scientific content.

The Company has 67,933,289 common shares outstanding.

Send a message or subscribe for updates at www.archbiopartners.com/contact-us

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws regarding expectations of the Company’s future performance, liquidity, and capital resources, as well as the ongoing development of its drug candidates targeting chronic kidney disease and the dipeptidase-1 (DPEP1) pathway, including the outcomes of its clinical trials relating to LSALT peptide (Metablok) and cilastatin, the successful commercialization and marketing of its drug candidates, whether the Company will receive, and the timing and costs of obtaining, regulatory approvals in Canada, the United States, Europe, and other countries, its ability to raise capital to fund its business plans, the efficacy of its drug candidates compared to the drug candidates developed by competitors, its ability to retain and attract key management personnel, and the breadth of, and its ability to protect, its intellectual property portfolio. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, including certain factors and assumptions, as described in the Company’s most recent annual audited financial statements and related management discussion and analysis under the heading “Business Risks and Uncertainties”. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, or other unknown risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. The words “believe”, “may”, “plan”, “will”, “estimate”, “continue”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “expect”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Additional information relating to Arch Biopartners Inc., including the Company’s most recent annual audited financial statements, is available by accessing the Canadian Securities Administrators’ System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (“SEDAR+”) website at www.sedarplus.ca.

References:

United States Renal Data System. 2024 USRDS Annual Data Report: Epidemiology of kidney disease in the United States. National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD; 2024. https://usrds-adr.niddk.nih.gov/2024
Mark, Patrick B., et al. Global, regional, and national burden of chronic kidney disease in adults, 1990–2023, and its attributable risk factors: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2023. The Lancet, 2025;406(10518), 2461–2482. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01853-7/fulltext

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please contact:

Aaron Benson
Director of Communications
Arch Biopartners Inc.
647-428-7031

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