Centocor, Catalyst tie up to develop Alterase drug candidates

Centocor Research & Development, Inc, a Johnson and Johnson unit, will support Catalyst Biosciences, Inc. in the discovery research and preclinical development of Alterase drug candidates, as part of a two year worldwide research and license agreement recently inked by the two companies.

Alterase therapeutics is next-generation, protease biologics engineered with the ability to catalytically cleave and inactivate disease-causing proteins.

Through the collaboration, Centocor will focus in the discovery research and preclinical development of Alterase drug candidates against two targets. One of the targets is in inflammatory disease. The companies did not disclose the second target but proposed an option to expand the agreement to include a third target.

Catalyst Biosciences will receive an upfront payment of $11 million, and will receive research funding for two years. The upfront payment is comprised of cash and an equity investment by Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation (JJDC). In conjunction with the equity investment and the signing of the agreement, Asish K. Xavier, Ph.D., of JJDC will join the Catalyst Biosciences Board of Directors.

Centocor will be responsible for all development, manufacturing, and commercialisation efforts associated with the Alterase products discovered through the collaboration in exchange for future milestones and royalties.

"We are very pleased to collaborate with Centocor, a leading developer of biologic therapies, to employ our Alterase drug discovery engine against high-value targets," said Nassim Usman, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Catalyst Biosciences. "We are also delighted to welcome JJDC to our premier group of investors."

Catalyst Biosciences is developing the next generation of biopharmaceuticals by harnessing the catalytic power of engineered proteases to target proteins underlying disease. Catalyst's discovery platform rapidly creates and optimises tailor-made protease drug candidates, called Alterase therapeutics, that are applicable across a broad spectrum of disease categories. To date, Catalyst has established two discovery research and product development collaborations with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Centocor Research & Development, Inc.