IRVING, Texas, Oct. 11, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:RETA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the appointment of Dawn Carter Bir as Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer.

Ms. Bir joins the company with over 20 years of biopharmaceutical sales and marketing experience. Over the past decade she served in senior leadership roles at Pharmacyclics, LLC, McKesson Corporation, and Genentech, Inc. Most recently, Ms. Bir served as Vice President of US Sales at Pharmacyclics, LLC where she built and led their first hematology national sales organization of sales representatives, division managers, and regional sales directors, responsible for the launch of IMBRUVICA in the US and Puerto Rico. In only 18 months, her team became an industry-recognized commercial sales presence and executed a history-making oncology launch. Prior to joining Pharmacyclics, LLC, Dawn served as Vice President Sales & Marketing with McKesson US Pharmaceutical, SKY Pharmaceuticals, and RxPak.

“We are pleased to welcome Dawn to the role of Chief Commercial Officer,” said Warren Huff, Reata’s Chief Executive Officer and President. “Dawn is an experienced executive with a proven ability to build and lead sales and marketing organizations. She is also ideally suited to orchestrate our anticipated product launches and collaborate effectively with our global commercial partners.”

Ms. Bir received a B.S. in Biology from Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY.

About Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops novel therapeutics for patients with serious or life-threatening diseases by targeting molecular pathways involved in the regulation of cellular energy production and inflammation. Our two most advanced clinical candidates (bardoxolone methyl and omaveloxolone) target important transcription factors, called Nrf2 and NF-?B, to restore mitochondrial function, reduce oxidative stress, and resolve inflammation.