Aerpio Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company, which engages in the research and development of treatments for ocular diseases. The company is headquartered in Blue Ash, Ohio and currently employs 27 full-time employees. The firm is focused on developing treatments for ocular disease. Its lead product candidate is AKB-9778. Its other two pipeline programs include AKB-4924 and ARP-1536. AKB-9778 is a small molecule activator of the Tie-2 pathway, which is being developed for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy (DR). AKB-4924 is a selective stabilizer of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1alpha), which is being developed for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). ARP-1536 is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed at the same target as AKB-9778. ARP-1536 binds the extracellular domain of vascular endothelial protein tyrosine phosphatase (VE-PTP) inhibiting its ability to interact with Tie-2. As of April 14, 2017, the Company had completed a Phase II trial of AKB-9778 in 144 patients with diabetic macular edema. As of April 14, 2017, the Company had completed Phase Ia clinical trial in healthy volunteers for AKB-4924.