XORTX Announces Closing of Acquisition of Vectus Kidney Anti-fibrotic Asset
Rhea-AI Summary
XORTX (NASDAQ: XRTX) announced it closed the acquisition of the Vectus kidney anti-fibrotic asset, VB4-P5, on April 13, 2026 for an aggregate purchase price of US$3.0 million.
The Program includes a pre-IND small-molecule NCE, associated patent family, regulatory documentation and manufacturing data. Consideration: 154,544 common shares at US$3.5432 and 692,150 pre-funded warrants at US$3.5431 (exercise US$0.0001), warrants expire April 13, 2031 and include a 9.99% ownership cap. TSXV has conditionally approved listing of shares; common shares issued without a hold period under applicable Alberta rule.
Positive
- Acquisition secured of VB4-P5 program for US$3.0 million
- Patent family and Vectus-generated regulatory and manufacturing data acquired
- Pipeline expansion into kidney anti-fibrotic therapeutics at pre-IND stage
- TSXV conditional listing approved for shares issuable under the Acquisition
Negative
- Pre-IND status — no clinical human data yet for VB4-P5
- Share and warrant issuance creates immediate dilution (154,544 shares; 692,150 pre-funded warrants)
News Market Reaction – XRTX
In the Apr 14 session, XRTX declined 1.81%, reflecting a mild negative market reaction. Argus tracked a peak move of +25.2% during that session. Argus tracked a trough of -36.0% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 19 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility. Trading volume was exceptionally heavy at 5.6x the daily average, suggesting significant selling pressure.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Previous Acquisition Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 04 | Acquisition deadline update | Neutral | -17.7% | Extended deadline to close VB4-P5 renal anti-fibrotic program acquisition. |
| Oct 17 | Acquisition term sheet | Positive | +29.4% | Entered binding term sheet to acquire VB4-P5 renal anti-fibrotic program. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Acquisition-related news has produced mixed reactions: the initial VB4-P5 term sheet saw a strong gain, while a later deadline extension drew a sharp selloff.
This announcement closes the acquisition of the VB4-P5 renal anti-fibrotic program from Vectus, building on earlier steps. On Oct 17, 2025, XORTX entered a binding term sheet for the same program, which prompted a 29.41% move. A subsequent update on Feb 4, 2026 extended the closing deadline and coincided with a -17.71% reaction. Today’s completion advances the program from agreement and timetable adjustments to full ownership at the pre‑IND stage.
Key Terms
pre-IND regulatory
investigational new drug regulatory
pre-funded warrants financial
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
• VB4-P5 – novel new chemical entity with potential to address significant unmet need in rare and large-market chronic kidney disease •
CALGARY, Alberta, April 13, 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, is pleased to announce the closing of the acquisition of the Vectus kidney anti-fibrotic asset (the “Acquisition”). The Company announced that it entered a binding term sheet on October 17, 2025 to acquire a Renal Anti-Fibrotic Therapeutic Program (the “Program”) from Vectus Biosystems Limited, an Australian Securities Exchange listed company (“Vectus”) and provided timing updates on December 31, 2025 and February 4, 2026.
The Program includes a novel new chemical entity, VB4-P5, along with its associated intellectual property, regulatory documentation, and manufacturing data. The Program is currently at the pre-IND (Investigational New Drug) stage of development and targets both rare and prevalent forms of kidney disease — areas with substantial unmet medical need. Assets included with the Acquisition are the patent family specifically related to the VB4-P5 compound and its use to treat kidney fibrosis, as well as the data generated by Vectus from its work on the VB4-P5 small molecule and related assets.
As consideration for the Acquisition, XORTX has issued 154,544 common shares (the “Common Shares”) at a deemed issue price of US
Dr. Allen Davidoff, Chief Executive Officer of XORTX, stated, “We are pleased to have finalized the Acquisition of the VB4-P5 program for kidney disease. This program is directly aligned with our strategic focus on developing innovative therapies to treat individuals with progressive kidney disease and broadens our pipeline with a new technological direction. We believe this novel agent has the potential to be a new treatment for mid-late stage chronic kidney disease, slow kidney disease progression and accompanying fibrosis.”
About Kidney Disease and Fibrosis
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects an estimated
Kidney fibrosis is a hallmark of CKD progression. It is characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix that follows renal injury. Untreated, it will ultimately lead to renal dysfunction, and high morbidity and mortality3. Rare kidney diseases such as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD)4 and lupus nephritis5 also produce kidney fibrosis, contributing to the deterioration of kidney and cardiovascular function in these patients. Current treatments for kidney fibrosis focus primarily on blood pressure control and include dietary interventions. No currently approved therapies specifically target or reverse kidney fibrosis.
About the VB4-P5 Program
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.
References
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Kidney Disease Statistics for the United States.
- Rende U., Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of tubulointerstitial fibrosis, J Physio, 601.14, pp2801-2826, 2023 https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1113/JP284289
- 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.
About XORTX Therapeutics Inc.
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.
For more information, please contact:
| Allen Davidoff, CEO | Nick Rigopulos, Director of Communications |
| adavidoff@xortx.com | nick@alpineequityadv.com |
| +1 403 455 7727 | +1 617 901 0785 |
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements pursuant to applicable securities laws. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's beliefs, plans, goals, objectives, expectations, assumptions, estimates, intentions, future performance, other statements that are not historical facts and statements identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "seeks", "estimates" or words of similar meaning. 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. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, regulatory approvals, such as the TSXV; the success and timing of our preclinical studies and clinical trials; the performance of third-party manufacturers and contract research organizations; our plans to develop and commercialize our product candidates; our plans to advance research in other kidney disease applications; and, our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates. Except as otherwise required by applicable law and stock exchange rules, 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 Annual Report on Form 20-F 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.sedarplus.ca.
