Acquist Therapeutics to Present Scientific Results for Lead Clinical Drug in Gout

WESTFIELD, N.J., Oct. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Acquist Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company committed to developing treatments that will better the lives of people with inflammatory diseases, today announced that new scientific results from the Company's research program in gout have been accepted for oral presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). Acquist's Chief Executive, Dr. Raymond P. Warrell, Jr., will present the findings at the ACR meeting on Wednesday, October 24, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

In clinical trials involving more than 350 patients, Acquist investigators observed marked reductions in uric acid, a central mediator of inflammation in many diseases. Dr. Warrell's presentation will highlight results showing that RLBN1127, a potent bifunctional inhibitor of enzymes that regulate both production and excretion of uric acid, and the Company's lead drug candidate, strikingly reduced both uric acid and downstream markers of inflammation related to both gout and NASH.

About Gout

Gout afflicts 8 million patients in the U.S., and its prevalence doubles every 10 years.  Lack of treatment innovation has caused prolonged patient morbidity and represents a grossly unmet medical need. As a result, annual costs of healthcare for gout have risen progressively over the past 20 years.

Gout is caused by an abnormal excess of uric acid (UA), a natural breakdown product of DNA. Excess UA in blood and tissue can cause exquisitely painful, destructive, and deforming arthritis, as well as kidney failure. Excess UA has also been linked as a causal factor in NASH, chronic kidney disease, and accelerated cardiovascular disease. Standard treatment for gout seeks to either reduce production or increase urinary excretion of UA; however, fewer than 25% of gout patients actually respond to standard 1^st-line treatment.

About RLBN1127

Where conventional gout treatments use drugs that target single enzymes, Acquist drugs bifunctionally inhibit enzymes that regulate both production and excretion of UA with activities that are markedly more potent. In clinical trials, an Acquist prototype drug demonstrated exceptional activity in patients. This clinical proof-of-concept led to the discovery of multiple derivatives with further-enhanced activity, including the Company's lead clinical candidate, RLBN1127. Acquist believes these drugs can replace current 1^st-line treatments for gout, thereby leading to meaningful improvement in patient well-being.

About Acquist

Acquist is a biopharmaceutical company that is committed to developing treatments that better the lives of people with inflammatory diseases. The Company's development programs are focused on two prevalent diseases with highly unmet needs, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and gout. Simultaneously targeting enzymes that regulate both production and excretion of uric acid, Acquist compounds are markedly more potent than standard monofunctional drugs and have demonstrated exceptional clinical activity. In NASH and gout, we believe effective treatment can substantially improve patient morbidity and mortality from these progressive illnesses, both of which have patients who are very poorly served by standard medicines. Further information can be accessed at www.acquistrx.com.

SOURCE Acquist Therapeutics, Inc.

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