Aerpio Reports First Quarter 2017 Financial Results

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“the Company”), a biopharmaceutical company focused on advancing first-in-class treatments for ocular diseases, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2017.

“This new capital enables us to further the development of our product candidates, including the initiation of our planned Phase 2b clinical trial of AKB-9778 in patients with moderate to severe diabetic retinopathy. We look forward to the progress of this trial.”

“In the first quarter, we announced our $40 million private placement and completed our reverse merger transaction,” said Joseph H. Gardner, CEO of Aerpio. “This new capital enables us to further the development of our product candidates, including the initiation of our planned Phase 2b clinical trial of AKB-9778 in patients with moderate to severe diabetic retinopathy. We look forward to the progress of this trial.”

Financial Highlights

As of March 31, 2017, the Company had cash and cash equivalents and short term investments of $35.2 million, compared to $1.6 million as of December 31, 2016. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company received net proceeds of $37.2 million from the previously announced March 2017 financing as well as $0.3 million in January from an extension to the Aerpio senior secured convertible note financing in March 2016.