Catena Biosciences

Catena Biosciences, located in Berkeley, California, operates within the healthcare industry, focusing on therapeutics. The company, which participated in the Y-Combinator S21 batch, employs a team of seven and serves regions including the United States, America/Canada, and offers remote and partly remote working conditions. Catena Biosciences has developed a groundbreaking technology that enables the fusion of proteins with three-dimensional control, a capability previously exclusive to small molecule synthesis. This technology facilitates the synthesis of novel biomolecules in any desired structure, combination, or orientation. The company’s innovative CysTyr platform leverages the novel Catenase enzyme to selectively attach tyrosine residues to cysteine residues, forming the proprietary C-Y Bond. This platform is currently being used to develop a first-in-class pipeline of Multi Payload Conjugates (MPCs), aimed at delivering targeted combination therapies to overcome tumor resistance. Recent study results presented at the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium highlighted the efficacy of these MPCs, showing superior performance compared to the current standard of care, DS8201a (T-DXd), across multiple HER2+ cell lines. The C-Y Bond’s improved stability in serum suggests potential enhancements in safety and efficacy. Catena Biosciences has received support from notable investors such as Amgen, Social Impact Capital, and the California Innovation Fund, and has been recognized with an NIH SBIR grant and the American Cancer Society’s BrightEdge Golden Ticket at UC Berkeley’s Bakar Labs.