XORTX Therapeutics Strengthens Executive Team

Mr. Amar Keshri joins XORTX as Chief Financial Officer

CALGARY, Alberta, July 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XORTX Therapeutics Inc. ("XORTX" or the “Company”) (CSE: XRX) (OTCQB: XRTXF), a pharmaceutical therapeutics company focused on developing innovative therapies to treat progressive kidney disease, is pleased to announce that Mr. Amar Keshri will join the XORTX management team in the role of Chief Financial Officer replacing James Fairbairn, the Company’s current Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Keshri will provide key leadership and financial acumen to XORTX as he transitions into a full-time roll. Amar Keshri will work closely with CEO Allen Davidoff and the XORTX team to implement the Company’s strategy to achieve business growth, key partnership development and clinical program launch.

Amar was most recently involved in providing consulting services to US based start-ups in the process of going public. He has also worked with a number of large organizations in Canada and internationally involved in a number of service sectors including the life science industry, oil and gas sector and various public practice audit and finance and accounting consulting roles, including with Suncor, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Ernst & Young. Mr. Keshri is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta.

Dr. Allen Davidoff, XORTX’s CEO stated, “I would personally like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Jim Fairbairn for his excellent, diligent work on behalf of XORTX and for his ongoing support as Amar transitions into this key management role with XORTX. Mr. Keshri’s experience with fast-growing companies and a strong background in audit and financial control will be valuable assets in the next stages of XORTX’s development.”

Amar Keshri added, “I am very excited to join XORTX as CFO and look forward to working with XORTX’s positively driven team members at this important stage of the Company’s growth.”

In connection with the appointment of Amar Keshri and other recent appointments, the Company has granted in accordance with the Company’s stock option plan an aggregate of 750,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company. The options granted will vest equally over 36 months and are exercisable at $0.205 for a period of five years.

About XORTX Therapeutics Inc.

XORTX Therapeutics Inc. is a pharmaceutical company with two clinically advanced products in development – XRx-008 for Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), XRx-101 for Coronavirus / COVID-19 infection and XRx-225 is a pre-clinical stage program for Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy (T2DN). XORTX is working to advance its clinical development stage products that target aberrant purine metabolism and xanthine oxidase to decrease or inhibit production of uric acid. At XORTX Therapeutics, we are dedicated to developing medications to improve the quality of life and future of patients. Additional information on XORTX Therapeutics is available at www.xortx.com.

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The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

Released July 14, 2021