Vicadrostat

A new deal between Boehringer Ingelheim and Rectify Pharmaceuticals features an undisclosed mix of an upfront fee and milestones. \n Boehringer Ingelheim has opened another front in its attack on chronic kidney disease (CKD), offering Rectify Pharmaceuticals up to $448 million to partner on a preclinical program. The alliance positions Boehringer to work with Rectify on small molecules that enhance ABCC6 protein function. Research suggests variants in ABCC6, a transporter protein gene, are implicated in the vascular calcification seen in some CKD patients. Calcification is linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and is seen in 80% of patients with end-stage kidney disease.Rectify identified the target as a good fit for its platform, which it built to address membrane protein dysfunction. The biotech’s pipeline features an ABCC6 program that is moving from candidate selection to IND-enabling studies. Rectify lists CKD and aortic valve stenosis as indications for the program.Boehringer has bet up to $448 million on Rectify’s ABCC6 work. The deal features an undisclosed mix of an upfront fee and preclinical, clinical, regulatory and commercial milestones. Typically, most of the value of such early-stage agreements is tied to later-phase development and commercialization. The deal also includes tiered royalties on future product sales. Søren Tullin, global head of cardiovascular-renal-metabolic diseases research at Boehringer, said in a statement that Rectify’s platform “offers a differentiated approach to developing disease-modifying treatments that target fundamental drivers of cardiorenal dysfunction.” Tullin added that enhancing ABCC6 function opens new possibilities in CKD and other diseases where calcification is a key pathology.The program strengthens Boehringer’s R&D activities in an important therapeutic area for the company. Jardiance, which Boehringer co-markets with Eli Lilly, won approval in CKD in 2023. Boehringer is also active in CKD drug development, with a study of the aldosterone synthase inhibitor vicadrostat among its roster of phase 3 trials. The drugmaker began enrolling the first of a planned 11,000 patients last year.Rectify launched in 2021 with $100 million. Backed by investors including Atlas Venture, the company set out to target a family of ABC transporters that previously had only played a role in the treatment of cystic fibrosis.