POWER OF ATTORNEY


         Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Joseph Gardner, James Murphy, Danielle Lauzon and Amoli Pandya,
signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

         (1)      execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
                  undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of Aerpio
                  Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (the "Company"), (i) Form ID, including
                  any attached documents, to effect the assignment of codes to
                  the undersigned to be used in the transmission of information
                  to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission using
                  the EDGAR System, (ii) Forms 3, 4 and 5, (iii) Schedule 13D,
                  (iv) Schedule 13G and (v) amendments of each thereof, in
                  accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act
                  of 1934, as amended, and the rules thereunder;

         (2)      do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
                  undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete
                  and execute any such Form 3, 4 or 5, Schedule 13D. Schedule
                  13G or any amendments thereto and timely file such form with
                  the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
                  stock exchange or similar authority; and

         (3)      take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection
                  with the foregoing which, in the opinion of such
                  attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest
                  of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
                  understood that the documents executed by such
                  attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this
                  Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such
                  terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
                  such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

         The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this Power of Attorney and the
rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 or Regulation 13D-G of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The undersigned hereby agrees
to indemnify the attorney-in-fact and the Company from and against any demand,
damage, loss, cost or expense arising from any false or misleading information
provided by the undersigned to the attorney-in-fact.

         This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4 and 5 with respect to the
undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company,
unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact. This Power of Attorney may be filed with the United
States Securities and Exchange Commission as a confirming statement of the
authority granted herein. This Power of Attorney supersedes any prior power of
attorney in connection with the undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or
director of the Company. This Power of Attorney shall expire as to any
individual attorney-in-fact if such attorney-in-fact ceases to be an executive
officer of the Company.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney
to be executed as of March 17, 2017.


                                        /s/ Steven Prelack
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                        Steven Prelack