Boehringer Ingelheim agreed to collaborate with Boston startup Rectify to develop oral therapies for chronic kidney disease in a deal worth up to $448 million in biobucks. The partnership names Rectify as the discovery engine and Boehringer as development and commercialization partner, with milestone and option structures to support clinical progression. The deal highlights large pharma’s interest in modular external R&D relationships to source oral small‑molecule candidates for renal disease, an area with significant unmet need and high commercial potential if safety and efficacy hurdles are cleared.