Arete Therapeutics Initiates Phase IIa Clinical Trial for AR9281, a Novel s-EH Inhibitor to Treat Type ...( AR9281 operates within the third...),Health

"AR9281 operates within the third branch of the arachidonic acid pathway and represents a potentially more specific and selective approach to intervene in metabolic and inflammatory diseases. The first two branches of this critical regulatory pathway have been targeted by several commercially successful marketed anti-inflammatory drugs including Aspirin(R) (acetylsalicylic acid), Motrin(R) (ibuprofen), Singulair(R) (Montelukast) and Celebrex(R) (celecoxib). We designed our Phase IIa trial to further validate the role of s-EH in the pathophysiology of disease and to lay the groundwork for further exploration of s-EH inhibition in treating a broad range of serious diseases including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory disorders," commented Randall Whitcomb, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Arete.

The results of a Phase I clinical program consisting of two double-blind, placebo-controlled studies demonstrated that AR9281 was safe and well tolerated in healthy volunteers. The studies met all safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic endpoints. In addition, AR9281 has shown favorable results in various published and proprietary in vitro and in vivo assays for potency, selectivity, efficacy, ADME, toxicity and safety.

About Arete Therapeutics Inc.

Arete Therapeutics is a privately-held biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, hypertension and inflammatory disorders. It is the world's leading company focused on s-EH, an important enzyme for the metabolism of arachidonic acid that plays an essential role in metabolic, inflammatory and cardiovascular physiology. The Company was founded by Dr. Bruce Hammock, a Professor at the University of California, Davis, who discovered s-EH. The Company has raised a total of over $51 million in Series A financing led by Frazier Healthcare Ventures, Alta Part
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