Reata Pharmaceuticals Appoints Rajiv Patni, M.D., as Executive Vice President, Chief Research & Development Officer

Reata Pharmaceuticals, a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel therapies for patients with severe diseases, announced the appointment of Rajiv Patni, M.D., as Executive Vice President, and Chief Research & Development Officer. Dr. Patni will report to Warren Huff, Chief Executive Officer, and will be responsible for overseeing the Company’s research and development functions.

“The team and I are excited to welcome Rajiv to Reata. His previous experience and his proven track record will help position the company for future growth,” said Warren Huff, Chief Executive Officer. “His leadership will allow us to continue with the development of omaveloxolone and accelerate the development of our Nrf2 activators in serious neurological and other diseases.”

Dr. Patni brings over 23 years of global product development experience, including 18 clinical programs in the cardiology, diabetology, hepatology, neurology, and benign hematology therapeutic areas. Prior to joining Reata, Dr. Patni was Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at Global Blood Therapeutics from 2020 to 2023. Prior to that time, he was CMO at Portola Pharmaceuticals and Adamas Pharmaceuticals. Early in his career, Dr. Patni worked at Pfizer, Roche, and Actelion, where he held positions of increasing responsibility. His proven track record in fostering successful team efforts at these different companies contributed to the approval of 10 medicines from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, European Medicines Agency, and other regulatory agencies.

“I am excited to join Reata as it enters an inflection point to become a global, commercial-stage company with an expanding pipeline in both rare and common serious diseases,” said Dr. Patni, who also commented. “I am duly impressed by the resilience and expertise of the Reata team, who have spent up to two decades expanding the knowledge of its foundational Nrf2 activator biology.”

Dr. Patni received his MD degree from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, as part of an accelerated BS/MD program. He completed an internal medicine residency and adult cardiology fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, also in New York City, where he continued as an attending physician before joining industry.