TORONTO, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Arch Biopartners Inc. (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF) today announced that it has received central Institutional Review Board (“IRB”) approval of the protocol and related study documents for the Company’s ongoing Phase II trial of LSALT peptide targeting cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (“CS-AKI”). Arch recently announced that the Company will expand the study into the United States following interest from clinicians at five leading institutions. The central IRB approval completes an important step toward activating these U.S. sites. It provides an ethical review that participating sites may use instead of their local institutional review board to accelerate the site activation process. The planned U.S. arm of the study builds on progress achieved at the trial’s existing clinical sites in Canada and past sites in Turkey. The expansion into the U.S. is intended to increase the trial’s visibility in the global healthcare sector and broaden patient recruitment. The Company is also continuing to grow the trial in Canada as one additional Canadian site moves through the activation process. “The U.S. expansion is an important part of our development strategy for LSALT peptide and the CS-AKI program,” said Richard Muruve, Chief Executive Officer of Arch Biopartners. “For Arch, it is also a strategic step toward establishing a stronger global presence as we advance our clinical-stage kidney programs.” The Company expects new U.S. clinical sites to require four to six months to complete site preparation, contracting, regulatory review, training and other start-up activities before dosing their first patients. Some of these activities are already underway with prospective U.S. sites. Timing will vary by institution and is subject to the completion of all applicable approvals. About the CS-AKI Phase II Trial Cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury is a common complication following on-pump (heart-lung machine) cardiac surgery and can lead to longer hospital stays and worse outcomes. The trial is designed to evaluate whether LSALT peptide can reduce the rate of AKI in this setting. The CS-AKI Phase II trial is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of LSALT peptide with a recruitment target of 240 patients. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the percentage of subjects with acute kidney injury within seven days following on-pump cardiac surgery, as defined by the KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. Details of the Phase II trial can be viewed at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05879432. About Arch Biopartners Arch Biopartners Inc. is a therapeutic biotechnology company developing on-target 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 common causes of acute and chronic damage. Chronic kidney disease affects more than 800 million people worldwide,1 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 an additional Canadian site in development and a U.S. expansion of the CS-AKI trial underway. 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. For more information, please contact: Aaron BensonDirector of CommunicationsArch Biopartners Inc. 647-428-7031 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’s 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: 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.