CBIO vs MRK

Crescent Biopharma Inc.

Catalyst Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing protease product candidates in the fields of hemostasis and complement regulation. The company engineer proteases to develop improved or novel molecules to treat diseases that result from dysregulation of the complement and coagulation cascades. Its protease engineering platform has generated two late-stage clinical programs, including marzeptacog alfa (MarzAA), a subcutaneously administered engineered coagulation; and Factor VIIa (FVIIa) for the treatment of episodic bleeding in subjects with rare bleeding disorders. The company's pipeline also includes a preclinical program partnered with Biogen International GmbH for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD); factor I protease for SQ prophylaxis in patients with complement factor I deficiency and C4b-degraders designed to target disorders of the classical complement pathway, as well as other complement programs. The company also develops CB 4332 intended for lifelong prophylactic SQ administration in individuals with CFI deficiency; and CB 2782-PEG, a C3 degrader product candidate in preclinical development for the treatment of dry AMD. It has a strategic research collaboration with Mosaic Biosciences, Inc. to develop intravitreal anti-complement factor 3 products for the treatment of dry AMD and other retinal diseases; and license and collaboration agreement with Biogen International GmbH for the development and commercialization of pegylated CB 2782 (anti-C3 protease) to treat geographic atrophy associated dry AMD. Catalyst Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.

Merck & Company Inc.

Merck & Co., Inc. operates as a healthcare company worldwide. It operates through two segments, Pharmaceutical and Animal Health segments. The Pharmaceutical segment offers human health pharmaceutical products in the areas of oncology, hospital acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, diabetes, and women's health, as well as vaccine products. The Animal Health segment provides discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets a range of veterinary pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and health management solutions and services, as well as a suite of digitally connected identification, traceability, and monitoring products. The company has collaborations with AstraZeneca PLC; Bayer AG; Eisai Co., Ltd.; and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. It serves drug wholesalers and retailers, hospitals, and government agencies; managed health care providers, such as health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, and other institutions; and physicians and physician distributors, veterinarians, and animal producers. The company has collaboration agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to co-develop and co-commercialize long-acting investigational treatment combinations of Lenacapavir and Islatravir in HIV; Amathus Therapeutics to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases; and Linnaeus Therapeutics, Inc. to evaluate LNS8801 in combination with KEYTRUDA for patients with advanced cancer. It also has a collaboration with Biomed X Gmbh for building on ongoing research projects in the fields of oncology (DNA damage response and RNA splicing) and autoimmunity (intestinal epithelial barrier in autoimmune diseases); and a collaboration agreement with NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. to focus primarily on the development of novel medicines for unmet patient needs in retinal and CVM diseases, including heart failure. Merck & Co., Inc. was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Kenilworth, New Jersey.