Aerpio Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical enterprise headquartered in Blue Ash, Ohio, currently employs 27 full-time staff. The company's core mission revolves around the research and development of therapeutic solutions for ocular diseases. Its product pipeline is spearheaded by AKB-9778, with two additional programs, AKB-4924 and ARP-1536, also under development. AKB-9778 is a small molecule designed to activate the Tie-2 pathway, intended for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR). AKB-4924, another candidate, functions as a selective stabilizer of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha) and is being investigated for its potential in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). ARP-1536 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that targets the same pathway as AKB-9778. It operates by attaching to the extracellular domain of vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP), thereby inhibiting its interaction with Tie-2. As of April 14, 2017, Aerpio had successfully concluded a Phase II clinical trial for AKB-9778, which involved 144 patients with diabetic macular edema. By the same date, a Phase Ia clinical trial for AKB-4924 in healthy volunteers had also been completed.