Arrevus Secures Research Loan from North Carolina Biotechnology Center to Advance Phase III Candidate ARV-1801 for Cystic Fibrosis Lung Exacerbations

On November 8, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned via Business Wire that U.S. biopharmaceutical company Arrevus announced it had secured a small business research loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center; the specific loan amount was not disclosed.

The loan will be used to support Arrevus in the development of ARV-1801, a Phase III candidate drug for treating lung disease in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Arrevus is a clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in North Carolina, USA. The company is dedicated to developing novel therapies for orphan diseases, with a mission to create treatments that address unmet medical needs in areas characterized by high treatment failure rates, limited therapeutic options, and severe disease conditions. Arrevus is currently advancing the development of its candidate drug ARV-1801 for acute exacerbations of cystic fibrosis lung disease. Following this, Arrevus plans to advance another preclinical program aimed at addressing unmet medical needs in oncology and antimicrobial resistance.

As early as February 2019, Arrevus completed the transaction to acquire ARV-1801 (sodium fusidate) from Melinta Therapeutics. Given that ARV-1801 possesses unique antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and mucolytic activities, and has been safely used in markets outside the United States for more than half a century, Arrevus considers it an ideal candidate for treating acute exacerbations of pulmonary diseases. Patients with cystic fibrosis frequently experience acute pulmonary exacerbations, leading to persistent and permanent decline in lung function. The treatment of pulmonary exacerbations remains an unmet medical need, with few FDA-approved therapies available for this condition.

“ARV-1801 has been incorporated into multiple treatment guidelines outside the United States for Staphylococcus decolonization in patients with cystic fibrosis,” said Joseph St. Geme, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and a member of Arrevus’s Board of Directors. “Arrevus aims to demonstrate that this drug can also improve the quality of life for cystic fibrosis patients experiencing pulmonary exacerbations.”

Dr. Carl N. Kraus, Founder and CEO of Arrevus, stated, “Arrevus is pleased to provide additional treatment options for patients with cystic fibrosis battling pulmonary exacerbations. The support from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center loan is encouraging, and we will continue our efforts to deliver better therapeutic options for patients with lung diseases who are in greatest need.”

Furthermore, Arrevus announced that Robert J. Schotzinger, M.D., will join its Board of Directors. Dr. Schotzinger is the founder and former CEO of Viamet Pharmaceuticals, which he successfully sold to NovaQuest Capital Management in 2018. “Given Dr. Schotzinger’s expertise in orphan indications and the focus of Arrevus’s lead program, ARV-1801, on treating pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis, we are delighted to have him join the company at this pivotal stage in our development,” said Carl N. Kraus, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Arrevus.

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center, established in 1984, is a private, non-profit corporation funded by the North Carolina General Assembly to strengthen biotechnology research, commercialization, and education throughout North Carolina. The Center is not a site for laboratory research; it is dedicated to supporting job creation in the biotechnology industry.

(Compiled by Wang Fang)