Omaveloxolone, also called omav, is one of a class of drugs that Reata has developed to target the activation of a transcriptional factor Nrf2. Nrf2 is a therapeutic target in FA. Several researchers have shown that Nrf2 is paradoxically decreased in cells from FA patients.
The hypothesis is that increasing Nrf2 could improve mitochondrial function by reducing oxidative stress and preventing lipid peroxidation. These compounds have also been shown to have protection against diseases involving inflammation (there is some limited data and evidence that FA has some inflammatory aspects). Reata has shown in numerous preclinical studies that their compounds increase the number of mitochondria, improve mitochondrial efficiency, and boost energy production by mitochondria – all would potentially be beneficial in FA patients.