Guard Therapeutics announced that the scientific journal American Journal of Physiology ? Renal Physiology has published an article summarizing important preclinical results of the company's clinical drug candidate RMC-035. The results consistently demonstrate positive effects of RMC-035 in a large number of models for kidney injury and provide clear support for its continued clinical development as a renal protective treatment in open-heart surgery.

The article, titled Therapeutic alpha-1-microglobulin ameliorates kidney ischemia reperfusion injury, was authored by Tobias Agervald and Peter Gilmour, Head of Preclinical Science at Guard Therapeutics, as well as Mikhail Burmakin, Magnus Gram, Nelli Shushakova, Ruben M. Sandval and Bruce A. Molitoris. The current research results, which were published in an online version of the American Journal of Physiology ? Renal Physiology, mainly include effect studies in so-called ischemia-reperfusion injury that occurs in the kidneys in connection with heart surgery.

Overall, favorable treatment effects of RMC-035 were demonstrated based on analyses of a large number of outcome measures, including kidney function (GFR), kidney injury markers in the blood (creatinine and urea), albuminuria (protein in urine), cell injury markers in urine (NGAL, KIM-1), inflammation (IL-6) and protection of the cell?s mitochondria. A careful mapping also demonstrated specific uptake of RMC-035 in the so-called proximal tubular cells of the kidneys, which is advantageous given that these are the primary cells affected by the initial kidney injury occurring in association with heart surgery. Guard Therapeutics now intends to continue the clinical program of RMC-035 in heart surgery, and recently received approval by Health Canada to enroll patients in Canada to its phase 2b clinical trial POINTER.

Patient recruitment is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2024 and last for around one year. Overall study results are expected to be available approximately 6 months after completion of patient recruitment.