10.18.2007 - Industry Leaders Select RTA 402 as Top 10 Most Promising New Cancer Drugs

Presentation Planned for Windhover Therapeutic Area Conference October 24-26

IRVING, TX -- October 18, 2007-- Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that its lead development candidate, RTA 402, has been selected as one of the top 10 most promising cancer drugs in development and available for strategic partnering.  The selection was made by an independent committee assembled by Windhover Information, a leading provider of business information products and services to executives in the biopharmaceutical industry.

RTA 402 was selected from among hundreds of candidates through a rigorous screening process that assessed the strength of the agent's scientific and clinical data along with its ultimate market potential.  To be selected among the Top 10, products must distinguish themselves in each of these areas and represent a true breakthrough opportunity. 

"Reata is very pleased that RTA 402 has been selected by Windhover as a Top 10 product," commented Warren Huff, Reata's CEO.  "We believe this first-in-class drug has unique potential to become a major new cancer drug and are pleased that industry experts also see the significant opportunity RTA 402 represents."

About RTA 402

RTA 402 is a first-in-class Antioxidant Inflammation Modulator (AIM) that has demonstrated significant anti-cancer activity in several clinical studies.  This agent operates by a unique mechanism of action that directly inhibits the activation of key transcription factors, notably NF-kappa B and STAT3.  Chronically activated NF-kB and STAT3 are found in many forms of cancer and are associated with tumor progression, invasion, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.  RTA 402 has also shown outstanding potential for use in combination with standard cancer therapies, including radiation.  In view of the exceptional tolerability profile shown by RTA 402 in clinical studies, this property creates broad opportunities for the agent to be combined with existing standard of care regimens.  Because NF-kB and STATs are important targets for the treatment of inflammatory disease, RTA 402 is also under development as an oral, once-daily therapy for common inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.

In a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with solid tumors, RTA 402 was exceptionally well tolerated.  A high degree of disease control has been observed in this study, including objective responses, significant reduction of existing lesions, and prolonged periods of stable disease.  Significant reductions in NF-kB and STAT3-related biomarkers were observed in many patients.  Results of the Phase 1 study are being presented at the annual AACR/EORTC/NCI Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, held October 22-26, 2007 in San Francisco.  Based on these highly promising Phase 1 results, RTA 402 has begun Phase 2 studies in melanoma and pancreatic cancer.  Because of its outstanding clinical tolerability and its potent activity in many models of inflammatory disease, RTA 402 is also in clinical development for inflammation-related indications including rheumatoid arthritis.

About Reata

Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on selecting and discovering promising early drug development opportunities and translating them into successful marketed drugs that target major unmet clinical needs in cancer, inflammation and neurodegenerative disease.  The company's two lead programs are entering advanced clinical trials for deadly, late-stage cancers and proof of concept studies in inflammatory diseases.  In parallel with its clinical development, Reata is advancing a breakthrough drug discovery platform using protein misfolding, identified as a key factor in cancer and neurodegenerative disease, to feed its pipeline of small molecule therapeutic candidates. Reata takes a new and different approach to biotechnology, managing its pipeline as a portfolio of opportunities that can be advanced on a single management and physical infrastructure, streamlining the route to human trials and approval.   Founded in 2002, Reata is based in the Dallas area.  For more information, visit www.reatapharma.com

Media Contact:

Kathryn Morris

845-635-9828

kathryn@kmorrispr.com