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CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 04, 2026 (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 gout and progressive kidney disease, announces that further to its press release of October 17, 2025 and an update on December 31, 2025, the Company has entered into an extension agreement with Vectus Biosystems Limited (“Vectus”) to allow further time to complete the acquisition of the Renal Anti-Fibrotic Therapeutic Program from Vectus (the “Acquisition”). The term sheet entered into October 17th (the “Term Sheet”) to acquire the novel new chemical entity, VB4-P5, along with its associated intellectual property, regulatory documentation, and manufacturing data, provided for closing the Acquisition no more than 90 days from the execution of the Term Sheet. The Company has entered into an amendment that provides for closing of the Acquisition on or before March 31, 2026 to provide additional time for transfer of intellectual property.
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The Term Sheet is subject to finalization of closing documentation, satisfaction of conditions that are typical for a transaction of this type including receipt of all regulatory approvals, and compliance with applicable stock exchange requirements and applicable securities laws.
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In other news, XORTX confirms it has scheduled its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders for Tuesday, March 24, 2026 (the “Meeting”). Shareholders of record on February 20, 2026 will be entitled to vote at the Meeting.
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The Company also confirms that in connection with the appointment of Krysta Davies Foss to the board of directors, XORTX has granted, in accordance with the Company’s stock option plan, 20,000 options to purchase common shares of the Company at an exercise price of CAD $0.69 for a period of five years.
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About Kidney Disease and Fibrosis
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated 14% of adults globally, including approximately 35–37 million individuals in the United States alone1.
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Kidney fibrosis — characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix following renal injury — is a hallmark of CKD progression, leading to organ dysfunction, high morbidity, and mortality2 Rare kidney diseases such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)3 and lupus nephritis4 also manifest fibrosis, contributing to the deterioration of kidney and cardiovascular function. Currently, available treatments for kidney fibrosis focus primarily on blood pressure control and dietary interventions. No approved therapies specifically target or reverse kidney fibrosis.
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About the VB4-P5 Program
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Early preclinical data from the VB4-P5 program demonstrate the potential of this potent small molecule to inhibit and possibly reverse kidney fibrosis. Patent protection for VB4-P5 includes composition-of-matter and method-of-use claims across more than 30 global jurisdictions, positioning the program for broad development and commercialization opportunities.
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References
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- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States.
- Panizo S. Fibrosis in Chronic Kidney Disease.
Int J Mol Sci 22(1):408, 2021. - Xue C. Polycystic Kidney Disease and Renal Fibrosis.
Adv Exp Med Biol, 2019. - Sciascia S. Renal Fibrosis in Lupus Nephritis.
Int J Mol Sci 23(22):14317, 2022.
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About XORTX Therapeutics Inc.
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XORTX is a pharmaceutical company with three clinically advanced products in development: 1) our lead program XRx-026 program for the treatment of gout; 2) XRx-008 program for ADPKD; and 3) XRx-101 for acute kidney and other acute organ injury associated with respiratory virus infections. In addition, the Company is developing XRx-225, a pre-clinical stage program for Type 2 diabetic nephropathy. XORTX is working to advance 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 that improve the quality of life and health of individuals with gout and other important diseases. Additional information on XORTX is available at www.xortx.com.
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