Conatus Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of novel medicines to treat liver disease. The company is developing emricasan for the treatment of patients with chronic liver disease and acute exacerbations of chronic liver disease. Emricasan is a first-in-class, orally active pan-caspase protease inhibitor designed to reduce the activity of all ten human caspases, which are enzymes that mediate inflammation and cell death, or apoptosis. By reducing the activity of these enzymes, emricasan has the potential to interrupt the progression of liver disease and potentially provide treatment options in multiple areas of liver disease.
Conatus completed an Initial Public Offering in July 2013 (NASDAQ:CNAT).