RABI-767

Acute pancreatitis is a leading cause of emergency department visits and gastrointestinal admissions in the United States. For patients suffering from this condition, this results in many hospitalizations, long term complications, and lost time with their families and at work. Acute pancreatitis also results in more than 330,000 hospital admissions per year in the U.S., and the death of approximately five percent of patients suffering from the disease. There are no effective treatments, and incidence is on the rise.

By the time acute pancreatitis is observed in the clinic, it is too late to stop initiation, rather we need to limit the severity and stop the ongoing and highly toxic cascade of fat necrosis leading to organ failure. Strong preclinical data that lipolysis (break down of fats) converts mild acute pancreatitis to severe acute pancreatitis, and lipase inhibitors prevent this. This hypothesis is also supported by clinical evidence such as the link between the presence of fatty tissue around the pancreas and severity. We have a novel lipase inhibitor that targets this process with exceptional preclinical efficacy and a good safety profile.​ By preventing the breakdown of fats, our drug, RABI-767, is able to prevent tissue necrosis, organ failure, and death in preclinical models of acute pancreatitis.