XORTX Provides Program Update Regarding XRx-008 for ADPKD and XRx-101 for Coronavirus / COVID-19 Programs

CALGARY, Alberta, May 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XORTX Therapeutics Inc. ("XORTX" or the “Company”) (CSE: XRX) (OTCQB: XRTXF) (FRANKFURT: ANU1), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies to treat kidney disease, is pleased to provide the following update on its clinical stage programs to treat chronic autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) - XRx-008 and acute kidney injury (AKI) associated with COVID-19 Infection – XRx-101.

XORTX continues to monitor the emerging health crisis associated with COVID-19 involving AKI and the long-term projected burden on individuals and the health care system. Recent key publications (links below) continue to aid in this process suggest that:

• the COVID-19 pandemic and infections are likely to continue for a least 12-24 months;
• the COVID-19 infection affects multiple organs during the course of infection, including lungs and kidneys, leaving individuals who survive infection with long-term recovery challenges;
• nearly 60% of individuals who are hospitalized with COVID-19 present with proteinuria – marker of kidney involvement, 37% of these patients have evidence of acute kidney injury and 90% of patients requiring respiratory ventilation have acute kidney failure requiring dialysis; and
• an estimate of the current US infection rates suggests that in the first two and a half months of COVID-19, approximately 73,000 US citizens now have AKI with an additional ~12,000 now requiring dialysis. During the next year these numbers are anticipated to increase substantially.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/how-does-coronavirus-kill-clin ...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/coronavirus-destroys-lung ...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-kidney/kidney-in ...

With a focus on advancing both the ADPKD program as well as the COVID-19 program, XORTX has initiated a number of activities:

• Selection of LONZA Group as manufacturer of Oxypurinol, the active ingredient for both XRx-008 and XRx-101.  LONZA will also perform formulation work and provide clinical supplies for future clinical trials in both programs.
  
  
• Submitted to the FDA Coronavirus Treatment Accelerated Program (CTAP) a development and data plan regarding a COVID-19 package and received guidance to submit a pre-IND package for review. Pre-IND submission preparations are underway – https://www.fda.gov/drugs/coronavirus-covid-19-drugs/coronavirus-treat ....