Angiogenesis-based Disorders

Angiogenesis is the process by which new blood vessels are generated. While angiogenesis is a necessary process for development and wound healing, improper blood vessel growth is the pathological cause of a number of diseases, including cancer and ocular disease.

• Cancer.  Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Since the growth of a tumor is dependent on it's ability to recruit new blood vessels in order to have a sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients, the tumor sends out pro-angiogenic signals such as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor or VEGF.  Catalyst is developing Alterase™ therapeutics designed to inhibit angiogenesis by cleaving the receptors for VEGF (VEGFR).  Alterases have a number of advantages over monoclonal antibodies in this area.  They are smaller and catalytic, such that one protease molecule is capable of inactivating hundreds to thousands of target molecules.  Catalyst believes this will result in better tissue penetration and more effective inactivation of the target, and thus better efficacy.
  

• Ocular Disease.  Certain diseases in the eye, such as macular degeneration, lead to ischemia in the eye.  In response to the ischemia, pro-angiogenic signals are increased and lead to improper blood vessel formation in the retina.  This, in turn, can cause intraocular bleeding and loss of vision.  Catalyst's anti-VEGFR-2 Alterases have the ability to block neovascularization in several rodent models of macular degeneration.

Catalyst has partnered its VEGFR-2 Alterase program where it is now being studied in preclinical tumor models.