UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 6-K
REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-16 OR 15d-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the month of December 2022
Commission File Number: 001-40858
XORTX Therapeutics Inc.
3710 – 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2L 2M1
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
Form 20-F [ X ] Form 40-F [ ]
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
XORTX Therapeutics Inc. | |||
(Registrant) | |||
Date: December 8, 2022 | By: | /s/ Allen Davidoff | |
Name: | Allen Davidoff | ||
Title: | Chief Executive Officer | ||
EXHIBIT INDEX
99.1 | News Release dated December 8, 2022 |
EXHIBIT 99.1
XORTX Announces New Proof of Concept Data in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD)
Independent Study Shows Moderate Dose Strength of XORLO Attenuates Kidney Expansion
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XORTX Therapeutics Inc. ("XORTX" or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: XRTX | TSXV: XRTX | Frankfurt: ANU), a late stage clinical pharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies to treat progressive kidney disease, is pleased to announce new proof of concept data demonstrating, in a second study, the effectiveness of xanthine oxidase inhibition (“XOI”) produced by the Company’s proprietary oral oxypurinol formulation, XORLOTM, in a mouse model of ADPKD. This study for the XRx-008 program in ADPKD was conducted at the independent laboratory of Dr. Charles Edelstein at the University of Colorado. This new experimental data reproduces the result reported at the American Society of Nephrology meeting held early November 2022 and adds further new evidence that XOI produced by our proprietary formulation of oxypurinol at doses that would be considered moderate-to-low in man is effective at inhibiting the expansion of kidneys in ADPKD.
This study was designed to investigate several key aspects of polycystic kidney disease (“PKD”):
While analysis of evidence is ongoing, the key results of this study show that:
1/ Aberrant purine metabolism is substantially and significantly increased - as indicated by an increased kidney tissue expression of XO and increased activity of the enzyme in ADPKD tissue is present;
2/ When circulating serum uric acid is increased in mouse ADPKD models there is an accompanying increase of kidney volume and decreased filtering capacity; and
3/ The XRx-008 formulation of oxypurinol, XORLOTM, attenuates the mechanism of injury associated with chronically increased uric acid.
Dr. Allen Davidoff, CEO of XORTX stated, “The new results from this independently conducted study shows that XORTX’s proprietary formulation, at dose similar to what would be anticipated in XORTX’s upcoming phase 3 clinical trial, is sufficient to suppress the harmful effects of chronically high uric acid in ADPKD. We believe this result further confirms and guides our conduct of future human clinical trials.”
About Hyperuricemia and Total Kidney Volume (TKV) in human ADPKD
In individuals with ADPKD, expansion of kidney size is considered an important measure of disease diagnosis and progression. The continuous growth of kidney cysts leads to an exponential growth in total kidney volume (“TKV”) accompanied by tissue damage and fibrosis and eventual decline in function, resulting in kidney failure. Several clinical studies report1 that high chronic serum uric acid (Hyperuricemia) is frequently present in mid to late stage ADPKD Riviera2, Mejias3, Helal4 and Han5, with some of these studies correlating serum uric acid concentration with increased total kidney volume. Helal et al, concludes that after adjusting for age, gender and creatinine clearance, there was a 5.8% increase in TKV for every 1 mg/dL increase in uric acid(p<0.01)4. Negotiations with the US Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), European Medicines Agency and Health Canada have set a precedent for using a reasonably likely surrogate efficacy biomarker (TKV) toward accelerated approval after an interim analysis, with full approval contingent on the success of an accepted clinical end point (e.g., 30% decline in eGFR by the conclusion of the trial)7.
In recent years, the FDA has qualified total kidney volume as an approvable endpoint and therapeutics that demonstrate the ability to slow the expansion of kidney volume may be eligible for accelerated marketing approval5.
About the Mouse RC/RC Model of Polycystic Kidney Disease
Furthermore in 2012, Katharina Hopp et al. described a new genetic murine model - the Pkd1RC/RC mouse8,9. Pkd1RC/RC mouse develops a slowly progressing polycystic kidney disease with embryonic cyst initiation, present cystic lesions in the liver and elongated primary cilia in collecting ducts. The slowly progressive nature of the disease in this model, as well as the clinical relevance of the introduced mutation make it particularly interesting for the study of ADPKD. Its validity as a preclinical model for ADPKD drug efficiency studies was further established by the observation of a positive effect of tolvaptan in this model.
References:
About XORTX Therapeutics Inc.
XORTX is a pharmaceutical company with two clinically advanced products in development: 1) our lead, XRx-008 program for ADPKD; and 2) our secondary program in XRx-101 for acute kidney and other acute organ injury associated with Coronavirus / COVID-19 infection. In addition, XRx-225 is a pre-clinical stage program for Type 2 Diabetic Nephropathy. 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, we are dedicated to developing medications to improve the quality of life and future health of patients. Additional information on XORTX is available at www.xortx.com.
For further information, please contact:
Allen Davidoff, CEO | Nick Rigopulos, Director of Communications |
adavidoff@xortx.com or +1 403 455 7727 | nick@alpineequityadv.com or +1 617 901 0785 |
Media Inquiries, David Melamed, Ph.D. | |
david.melamed@russopartnersllc.com or +1 212 845 4225 |
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor Nasdaq has approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements pursuant to U.S. Federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements and their implications are based on the current expectations of the management of XORTX only, and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, XORTX undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. More detailed information about the risks and uncertainties affecting XORTX is contained under the heading “Risk Factors” in XORTX’s Registration Statement on Form F-1 filed with the SEC, which is available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov (including any documents forming a part thereof or incorporated by reference therein), as well as in our reports, public disclosure documents and other filings with the securities commissions and other regulatory bodies in Canada, which are available on www.sedar.com.