Targacept and Catalyst Biosciences merge into Catalyst Biosciences Inc.

Targacept, Inc. and Catalyst Biosciences, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to merge the two companies. The combined entity, to be named Catalyst Biosciences, Inc., is expected to create a financially strong company to harness the catalytic power of engineered human proteases to develop next-generation biopharmaceuticals with improved efficacy and therapeutic index to treat major diseases.