Abbott spin-off AbbVie has licensed a deprioritised antibody programme to Receptos as part of a risk-sharing deal that allows the big pharma company to opt back into development and commercialisation of the drug candidate should it demonstrate proof-of-concept in the treatment of the orphan disease eosinophilic oesophagitis. ABT-308, a humanised anti-interleukin-13 (IL-13) monoclonal antibody that has been designated RPC4046 by Receptos, was well tolerated in a Phase I study in healthy volunteers and patients with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma.