About
Overview
We are a research and clinical development biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing unmet medical needs in disorders of the complement and coagulation systems. Proteases are the natural regulators of these biological systems. We engineer proteases to create both improved or novel molecules to improve treatment of diseases that result from dysregulation of the complement and coagulation cascades.
Our protease engineering platform has generated two late-stage clinical programs including marzeptacog alfa (activated) (MarzAA), a subcutaneously (SQ) administered next-generation engineered coagulation Factor VIIa (FVIIa) for the treatment of episodic bleeding in subjects with rare bleeding disorders. Our complement pipeline includes a preclinical program partnered with Biogen International GmbH (Biogen) for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an improved complement factor I protease for SQ prophylaxis in patients with complement factor I (CFI) deficiency and C4b-degraders designed to target disorders of the classical complement pathway as well as other complement programs in development.
The product candidates generated by our protease engineering platform have improved functional properties such as longer half-life, improved specificity, higher potency and increased bioavailability. These characteristics allow for the potential for improved efficacy, SQ administration of recombinant coagulation factors and complement inhibitors, or less frequently dosed intravitreal therapeutics.
Our most advanced product candidate is MarzAA, a next-generation SQ FVIIa. A registrational Phase 3 trial (MAA-304 [ Crimson-1]) in patients with Hemophilia A or B with inhibitors, comparing SQ MarzAA with intravenous standard-of-care, and a Phase 1/2 trial of treatment of episodic bleeding (MAA-202) in Factor VII Deficiency, Glanzmann Thrombasthenia, and Hemophilia A with inhibitor patients on Hemlibra prophylaxis are both currently enrolling.
Our complement portfolio is led by the development candidates CB 4332 and CB 2782-PEG. CB 4332 is a wholly-owned first-in-class improved CFI intended for lifelong prophylactic SQ administration in individuals with CFI deficiency. CB 2782-PEG is a potential best-in-class C3 degrader product candidate in preclinical development for the treatment of dry AMD that we have licensed to Biogen. We have several engineered protease programs in discovery or early non-clinical development. These programs all target diseases caused by deficient regulation of the complement system.
Management Team
We have assembled an experienced leadership team including world-class scientists, advisors, and collaborators. We have established, and continue to expand, a robust intellectual property position to advance and protect our business objectives.
Nassim Usman, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Howard Levy, M.B.B.Ch., Ph.D., M.M.M.
Chief Medical Officer
Clinton Musil
Chief Financial Officer
Grant Blouse, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer
Anju Chatterji, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Biologics Development & Manufacturing
Charles Democko
Senior Vice President, Regulatory Affairs & Quality
Tom Knudsen, DVM, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Corporate Development
Norah Conway, M.Pharm
Vice President, Program Management
Faisal Shawwa
Vice President, Finance
Board
We have assembled an experienced leadership team including world-class scientists, advisors, and collaborators. We have established, and continue to expand, a robust intellectual property position to advance and protect our business objectives.
Augustine Lawlor, Chairman of the Board
Managing Director, HealthCare Ventures LLC
Errol B. De Souza, Ph.D.
Executive Chairman, Bionomics Ltd.
Geoffrey Ling, Ph.D.
Professor of Neurology and Attending Physician, Neuro Critical Care, Johns Hopkins Hospital
Sharon Tetlow
Managing Partner, Portrero Hill Advisors
Nassim Usman, Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer, Catalyst Biosciences, Inc.
Strategic Partners
Strategic partnerships are an important part of our business strategy to create value for investors and patients.
In December 2019, Catalyst Biosciences and Biogen entered into a global license and collaboration agreement for the development and commercialization of pegylated CB 2782 (CB 2782-PEG) for the potential treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) associated dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD).
Under the terms of the agreement, Biogen has an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize CB 2782-PEG and Catalyst’s other anti-C3 proteases for the potential treatment of dry AMD. Catalyst is performing pre-clinical and manufacturing activities and Biogen is solely responsible for funding the pre-clinical and manufacturing activities and performing Investigational New Drug (IND).
