Under terms of the agreement, Reata will grant to Abbott exclusive rights to develop and commercialize bardoxolone outside the United States, excluding certain Asian markets. Reata will receive upfront and near-term cash payments of $450 million for the licensing rights to bardoxolone and a minority equity investment in the company.
Upon completion of certain development and approval objectives for bardoxolone and other molecules in the licensed territories, Reata will receive additional milestone payments. Reata also will receive royalties on any future product sales in the Abbott territories. Additionally, Abbott obtains rights to develop and commercialize certain other Reata compounds for chronic kidney disease, and for cardiovascular and metabolic indications, in these territories.
"Early clinical studies suggest that bardoxolone could be a significant improvement to the current standard of care for CKD and possibly prevent patients from progressing to the later stages of the disease and dialysis," said John Leonard, MD, senior vice president, pharmaceuticals, research and development, Abbott. "This agreement builds on Abbott's existing experience in renal care, while adding a promising compound to our later-stage pipeline."
Bardoxolone is an oral, first-in-class antioxidant inflammation modulator that works by increasing the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of the kidneys. In two Phase 2 clinical trials, bardoxolone significantly improved kidney function in patients with advanced CKD and Type 2 diabetes, according to Gambro.
"Reata is very pleased to have Abbott as our partner and believe that its existing renal capabilities will be a great asset to the global program," said Warren Huff, CEO of Reata. "This partnership allows us to meet our strategic goal of establishing our own commercial presence in the U.S. and building a sustainable, fully integrated pharmaceutical company."
