Canada-based biotechnology company Arch Biopartners Inc (TSX-V:ARCH) (OTCQB:ACHFF) announced on Friday that it has engaged a US-based laboratory specialising in bioengineering to accelerate the company's pre-IND IL-32 chronic kidney disease (CKD) programme.

The lab will perform studies on behalf of Arch to generate proprietary data and support the company's patent portfolio covering its IL-32 drug candidates and related method-of-use claims. These studies represent the next stage of drug development following the identification of IL-32 as a potential therapeutic target in diabetic kidney disease.

Arch's CKD program is focused on diabetic kidney disease (DKD), a leading cause of kidney failure in the United States. The programme is supported by findings from human kidney tissue and disease models linking IL-32 to lipid droplet biology, inflammation and tubular injury in DKD.