• Ark Biopharmaceutical will lead development activities for AK0705 with the goal of initiating clinical studies in 2024.
• Calibr will continue to collaborate in the development of AK0705.
• The collaboration is an extension of the current co-development collaboration.

Under terms of the agreement, ArkBio will lead the preclinical development activities, with Calibr contributing its expertise to jointly guide the program forward. This renewed collaboration extends an ongoing collaboration that identified AK0705 as the pre-clinical candidate (PCC). Upon completion of the next stage of development, AK0705 is expected to enter human clinical studies in 2024.

"We are delighted to continue our collaboration with Calibr and take AK0705 forward together," said Dr. Jim Wu, Chairman and CEO of ArkBio. "Our teams have made great progress so far, and I am confident that we will continue to unlock the value of AK0705 as a well-differentiated therapeutic option for treating respiratory diseases with high unmet needs."

"New therapies are desperately needed for respiratory diseases resulting from chronic inflammation—the hundreds of millions of people suffering from these disorders globally have few options," said Dr. Peter Schultz, CEO and President of Scripps Research and Calibr. "Through novel chemistry, AK0705 has potential to be a targeted therapy that corrects an enzyme imbalance that underlies multiple respiratory disorders. ArkBio has been an exemplary collaborator, and we look forward to progressing this therapy toward human clinical trials."