Arthrosi Therapeutics – a clinical-stage biotechnology company – recently announced the successful securing of $75 million in Series D financing. This funding round was led by Guangrun Health Industry (Hong Kong) Co.
Limited and backed by a consortium of investors, including Reichstein Biotech (HK) Co. Limited, a subsidiary of ApicHope Pharmaceuticals. And the participation of these notable investors underscores their continued confidence and commitment to the development of AR882. This funding round represents another milestone in the development of AR882, a highly potent and selective next-gen URAT1 inhibitor delivered in a once-daily immediate-release oral capsule. AR882 can potentially change the treatment paradigm for gout, addressing critical aspects such as serum uric acid (sUA) levels, flares, and tophi reduction.
The recent Phase 2b trials have demonstrated the remarkable efficacy and safety of AR882, positioning it as a frontrunner in the industry. Notably, AR882 has demonstrated not only high response rates achieving the minimum sUA target of below 6 mg/dL needed to control the disease but also demonstrated sufficient potency to achieve targets below 5 mg/dL or 4 mg/dL for faster flare reduction and dissolution of crystal deposition and tophi.
With more than 9 million gout patients in the U.S. alone and 20 percent of patients with visible tophi, the market potential for AR882 is estimated to be over $1 billion.
KEY QUOTES:
“I am not aware of any other molecule that has shown such promising results. We continue to be extremely positive about how AR882 can address the significant unmet need in the gout space. In the U.S. alone there are 9 million people who suffer with limited treatment options. The Series D financing and continued partnership with ApicHope will accelerate the development of AR882 and other groundbreaking drugs in Western countries and in Asia.”
— Litain Yeh, PhD, and CEO of Arthrosi
“We look forward to the continued collaboration with Arthrosi to accelerate the company’s innovative drug portfolio and provide global access to these promising treatments. We have been very impressed with the progress Arthrosi has demonstrated. The results of the Phase 2b trials are exceptional and we expect the ongoing Phase 2 tophi trial to also show improvements in flares, sUA reduction, and tophi.”
— Hanxiong Li, Chairman and CEO of ApicHope
