– Life sciences executive brings more than 25 years of experience to cell and gene therapy company progressing through pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial –
Exton, PA, April 20, 2021 — Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. (the “Company”), a privately held, clinical-stage cell and gene therapy company leveraging its proprietary fibroblast technology platform to develop and commercialize disease-modifying therapies for patients suffering from orphan conditions for which there is a lack of available treatment options, today announced that Matthew Gantz has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. He will also serve as a member of the Company’s Board of Directors. Mr. Gantz succeeds John Maslowski, who will continue to serve the company as Chief Operating Officer.
“Matthew’s leadership, patients-first focus and global commercial experience will complement Castle Creek’s proven expertise in cell and gene therapies that continues to distinguish the Company as a rising leader in the field and a valued contributor to Paragon Biosciences’ expanding life sciences portfolio,” said Jeff Aronin, Founder and Chairman of Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. and Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Paragon Biosciences, LLC. “Matthew is an outstanding addition to Castle Creek’s executive team as the Company continues to develop and advance novel personalized treatments that offer the potential to help patients suffering from devastating genetic disorders to live longer, healthier lives.”
“I am honored to join Castle Creek at this important time and excited to work with their accomplished team to further progress and expand our cell-based, gene therapy pipeline led by our Phase 3 study for patients suffering from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB),” said Mr. Gantz. “Our proprietary autologous fibroblast platform and in-house commercial scale manufacturing facility uniquely position us for growth, enabling us to potentially develop promising new therapies that address unmet medical needs. Our goal is to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families who currently have few or no treatment options.”
An accomplished life sciences executive with more than 25 years of experience in the specialty biopharmaceutical and medical device industries, Mr. Gantz previously served as Chief Executive Officer of OxThera AB. He has also held executive leadership positions with BTG plc, Acureon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Hydra Biosciences, Chiron Corporation, PathoGenesis Corporation and Abbott Laboratories. Mr. Gantz is currently a board member of Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB, a publicly traded, international rare disease company, and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides scholarships for the children of Marines to pursue secondary education. He received his B.A. in history from Princeton University, his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps.
About Castle Creek Biosciences
Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held, clinical-stage cell and gene therapy company focused on developing and commercializing disease-modifying therapies for patients suffering from orphan conditions where there are high unmet needs due to a lack of available treatment options. The Company is using its proprietary fibroblast technology platform to develop D-Fi (dabocemagene autoficel, formerly known as FCX-007), an investigational, cell-based gene therapy that is administered intradermally for the localized treatment of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). The Company is also developing FCX-013, an investigational, cell-based gene therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe localized scleroderma. The Company operates an in-house commercial scale facility located in Exton, Pennsylvania, which is designed to be current good manufacturing practices-compliant (cGMP). Castle Creek Biosciences, Inc. is a portfolio company of Paragon Biosciences, LLC. For more information, visit castlecreekbio.com or follow Castle Creek on Twitter @CastleCreekBio.
About Paragon Biosciences
Paragon Biosciences is a life science innovator that creates, invests in and builds life science companies in biopharmaceuticals, cell and gene therapy and synthetic biology utilizing artificial intelligence. The company’s current portfolio includes Castle Creek Biosciences, CiRC Biosciences, Emalex Biosciences, Evozyne, Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Qlarity Imaging, Skyline Biosciences, and a consistent flow of incubating companies created and supported by the Paragon Innovation Capital™ model. Paragon Biosciences stands at the intersection of human need, life science and company creation. For more information, please visit paragonbiosci.com.
Media Contacts
Adam Daley
Berry & Company Public Relations
614.580.2048
adaley@berrypr.com
Karen Casey
Castle Creek Biosciences
302.750.4675
kcasey@castlecreekbio.com