The companies refer to AIMs as “potent activators of the transcription factor Nrf2” and note that activation of Nrf2 promotes the production of a wide range of antioxidant, detoxification and anti-inflammatory genes. Activation of Nrf2 also inhibits NF-κB, a transcription factor that regulates many pro-inflammatory enzymes, they add, and suppression of Nrf2 and activation of NF-κB have been associated with numerous chronic diseases, including multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Therefore, agents that activate Nrf2 and inhibit NF-κB may be beneficial in the treatment of these chronic diseases, they say.  

 

On a more practical business side, of course, “This deal helps Reata advance new molecules into clinical development in multiple important diseases and enables our company to build a global commercial presence,” according to Reata CEO Warren Huff.  

 

“This partnership allows Abbott to enhance its promising research pipeline across multiple therapeutic areas,” added Dr. John Leonard, Abbott’s senior vice president of pharmaceuticals, research and development, in the official announcement about the deal. “Accumulating data has established the potential for antioxidant inflammation modulators in neuroscience and immunology, and we look forward to expanding our knowledge through further research.”  

 

The Wall Street Journal calls the deal “a risky gambit” to bolster Abbott’s drug pipeline, noting that the deal “is among the largest between a pharmaceutical company and a small biotechnology company to secure rights to multiple compounds that haven't been tested yet in humans,” according to a database of such transactions kept by Elsevier Business Intelligence.