Developing Novel Therapies That Extend Kidney Health
XORTX Therapeutics, Inc. is a drug based biotechnology company primarily focused on orphan disease indications which have aberrant purine metabolism and frequently high serum uric acid imbalance. Our focus on developing kidney therapies also includes therapeutics programs for large markets such as diabetic nephropathy and acute kidney injury associated with respiratory virus infections such as SARS-CoV-2.
We possess patents and patent applications that may include U.S. and international rights regarding the development of uric acid-lowering agents for the treatment of hypertension, insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and kidney injury.
Clinical Studies
Clinical and scientific evidence shows that aberrant purine metabolism and chronically increased serum uric acid can cause a 'disease axis' that contributes to and includes obesity, high blood pressure, widespread activation of inflammation, progressive kidney injury, and progressive diabetes symptoms. We believe that treatment of this recently defined new and harmful mechanism of injury is addressed in our patents and patent applications.
Independently Investigator Led Phase II Clinical studies have verified that treating and lowering chronically increased uric acid levels in the blood may be an important new approach to managing disease caused by xanthine oxidase/xanthine oxidoreductase and chronically high uric acid. Some of those studies include Phase II studies showing that lowering and maintaining uric acid can block weight gain and decrease blood pressure, while other studies – three phase II studies – show improvement of kidney dysfunction when uric acid is controlled.
Future Development
The XORTX owned and licensed patent family members include claims to cover AKI, and other acute organ injury due to COVID19 infection - a program which could ultimately be expanded to a larger patient population with unmet medical needs including other viral and sepsis patients. The value of patents for reformulation or repurposed drugs is additive as is the case of orphan programs given that FDA grant of orphan drug status would provide the Company with a seven-year marketing exclusivity in the U.S. which would be more than adequate to generate acceptable rewards, given the premium pricing environment available to rare disease opportunities. Notably, this exclusivity is 10 years in Europe and Japan.
We are currently developing oxypurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and uric acid lowering agent. Historically, this uric acid lowering agent has an established safety and effectiveness profile which the FDA previously allowed for treating gout on a compassionate basis when patients could not tolerate Allopurinol. This clinical experience with oxypurinol demonstrated that oxypurinol is safe and effective for lowering uric acid.
Led By Kidney Disease Experts
Our executives possess extensive experience in clinical development and are committed to developing medications that will improve the quality of life of patients with progressive kidney failure.