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Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc..

AARD.US | Manufacture of pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemical and botanical products

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies for the treatment of metabolic diseases, including obesity and related conditions. Their lead product candidate is a small molecule therapeutic designed to modulate spe...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. focuses on 'Better Health for All,' developing treatments for metabolic diseases. Their lead product, ARD-101, reportedly reduced hyperphagia in 11 of 12 Prader-Willi Syndrome patients within 28 days and showed a 2.51 times greater hunger reduction than placebo in general obesity trials. However, as a biopharmaceutical company, Aardvark Therapeutics likely conducts animal testing in its drug development, and publicly available information regarding their animal welfare policies or efforts to reduce animal testing volume is currently unavailable. For most other ethical areas, including fair pay, ethical sourcing, and environmental impact, there is insufficient public data to provide a comprehensive assessment.

Value Scores

Better Health for All10
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity0
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect20
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing0
-100100
Honest & Fair Business0
-100100
Kind to Animals-70
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business0
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities0
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech0
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products0
-100100

Better Health for All

10

Aardvark Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company entirely focused on developing novel therapeutics for metabolic diseases, including hyperphagia in Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) and obesity.

1
Its lead product candidate, ARD-101, has shown positive efficacy signals in Phase 2 trials, with 11 of 12 PWS patients showing an average 7-point reduction in hyperphagia within 28 days, and a 2.51 times greater reduction in hunger rating compared to placebo in general obesity trials.
2
The company's entire business is devoted to health improvement. Research and development expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2025, were $7.8 million.
3
The company relies on third-party clinical investigators and CROs, and is responsible for ensuring its clinical trials comply with GCPs, protecting participants' rights, integrity, and confidentiality.
4
The Phase 3 HERO trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, and its protocol was amended to expand eligibility to children ages 7+ in the U.S.
5
The company has received Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation for ARD-101 for PWS from the FDA.
6
The company sold patent rights to certain assets to Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. in 2021 for approximately $4.7 million in stock and is eligible for future milestone payments and royalties.
7
As a clinical-stage company, it has no commercialized products and therefore no revenue from harmful products.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

0

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies.

1
The provided articles confirm its business as drug development and IPO activities. The company does not offer lending, deposit, or other financial services to consumers, nor does it manage customer finance data.
2
Therefore, all Key Performance Indicators related to 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' are not applicable to its business model.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

20

The company received an overall employee rating of 4.0 out of 5 stars based on 22 reviews, which translates to 80% satisfaction.

1
Employee reviews generally highlight a strong company culture, supportive management, and a positive work environment.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

0

No evidence available to assess Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. on Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing.

Honest & Fair Business

0

No specific, quantitative evidence was found in the provided articles for AARD.US to score any of the 'Honest & Fair Business' KPIs. The articles primarily list SEC filings

1
and general corporate governance documents, such as corporate governance guidelines and codes of conduct,
2
without detailing performance metrics, regulatory actions, or specific policy strengths relevant to the rubric's quantitative thresholds.
3

Kind to Animals

-70

Aardvark Therapeutics conducts preclinical studies in animal models, specifically mice, to evaluate drug candidates for efficacy and safety.

1
While in vitro studies using HepG2 cells are mentioned for assessing the mechanism of action of one drug candidate,
2
the company's phase 2 studies are based on activity demonstrated in animal models,
3
indicating that alternative assays are used sporadically while animal tests dominate. The company's code of conduct states a commitment to conducting research ethically and in compliance with animal welfare standards,
4
but it explicitly conducts and references animal testing to validate drug efficacy and safety,
5
without articulating any intent for reduction or a ban. Multiple studies involving mice are described, with group sizes ranging from 7 to 12 mice per treatment group.
6
Based on the sum of mice across various studies (e.g., 48, 25, 56, 48, 60 mice), the company uses at least 237 mice in the described studies.
7
The Foundation for Prader-Willi Research invested in Aardvark to support ARD-101 development,
8
but there is no evidence of Aardvark's R&D budget being allocated to animal-free technologies. The company does not mention participation in multi-stakeholder initiatives for animal-free testing or sourcing standards. While the company's code of conduct outlines a policy for pre-clearing lobbying activities and political contributions,
9
there is no public position or active engagement in animal welfare policy improvement or advocacy for higher standards.

No War, No Weapons

0

Aardvark Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for metabolic diseases.

1
The provided articles describe its drug development pipeline, clinical trials, and a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. There is no evidence in the articles to suggest any involvement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, dual-use technologies, or any other activities related to the 'No War, No Weapons' value.
2
The company's core business is entirely unrelated to the defense sector. Therefore, all KPIs related to defense, arms, or conflict-related activities are not applicable.

Planet-Friendly Business

0

Aardvark Therapeutics has a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, established with a charter effective February 12, 2025, responsible for overseeing environmental, social responsibility, and governance (ESG) initiatives, including corporate responsibility and sustainability matters.

1
The company maintains a policy to conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner, aiming to minimize environmental impacts, reduce waste generation, ensure safe waste disposal, and minimize environmental risks through safe technologies and operating procedures.
2
Employees are expected to comply with all applicable environmental laws.
3

Respect for Cultures & Communities

0

The provided article focuses on Aardvark Therapeutics' research and development of metabolic health treatments.

1
It does not contain any specific data or information regarding the company's relationships with indigenous or local communities, cultural practices, community investments, or any other metrics relevant to the 'Respect for Cultures & Communities' value.
2

Safe & Smart Tech

0

Aardvark Therapeutics reports no prior data breach incidents materially affecting the company and no incidents of unauthorized data use.

1
The company's privacy policy outlines that users have rights to access, delete, and correct their data, and to opt-out of targeted advertising.
2
Employees, incident response personnel, and senior management receive cybersecurity awareness training.
3
The company uses external service providers to assess and test security controls and guides its cybersecurity risk management using the NIST CSF.
4
Data is retained only as necessary for stated purposes and legal requirements.
5
The privacy policy explicitly states compliance with CCPA and other relevant data protection laws.
6

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

0

No specific, quantitative evidence was found in the provided article to assess AARD.US against any of the 'Zero Waste & Sustainable Products' KPIs.

1
The article discusses general trends in eco-friendly packaging within the pharmaceutical industry but does not mention AARD.US or provide any company-specific data on waste diversion, product recyclability, packaging sustainability, or other related metrics.
2

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AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.