Developing Novel Therapies for Gout and Kidney Health
XORTX is a drug-based biotechnology company focused primarily on diseases which involve aberrant purine metabolism and frequently high serum uric acid imbalance. Our focus on developing therapies includes programs for markets including gout, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), diabetic nephropathy and acute kidney injury associated with respiratory virus infections such as SARS-CoV-2.
We are currently developing oxypurinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor and uric acid lowering agent for use in the treatment of gout. 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.
We hold patents and patent applications that 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.
Endorsement
XORTX has received an important endorsement for its programs from the PKD Foundation (www.pkdcure.org) and is collaborating with the foundation. This collaboration will help to define the beneficial effects of XORTX’s therapies in ADPKD patients and potentially in other forms of polycystic kidney disease. XORTX believes that there are substantial benefits to working with the world’s leading polycystic kidney disease foundation and that this collaboration can redefine how physicians treat these diseases in the future.
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 gout, obesity, high blood pressure, widespread activation of inflammation, progressive kidney injury, and progressive diabetes symptoms. We believe that the 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 – showimprovements in kidney function when uric acid is controlled.
Future Development
The XORTX owned and licensed patent family members include claims to cover acute kidney injury (AKI) and other acute organ injuries due to respiratory viral infections including COVID19 - 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 an 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 returns, given the premium pricing available to rare disease opportunities. Notably, this exclusivity is 10 years in Europe and Japan.
Led By 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 gout and progressive kidney diseases.