What Conatus Pharmaceuticals does

Conatus Pharmaceuticals, listed on NASDAQ under ticker CNAT, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego that develops human therapeutics to treat liver failure and cancer. Its lead asset is emricasan, a first-in-class, orally active pan-caspase protease inhibitor designed to treat acute liver failure and liver fibrosis, supported by a patent portfolio of more than 130 issued patents covering composition of matter, validated drug targets, new chemical entities, drug-screening assays, diagnostics, antibodies, and broader programmed cell death (apoptosis) intellectual property. The company was founded in 2005, is led by co-founder Steven J. Mento, Ph.D. as President and CEO, and was built in part through the August 2010 acquisition of Idun Pharmaceuticals, with cumulative disclosed venture financing of roughly $62 million raised across rounds from 2006 through 2013 from investors including Aberdare Ventures, Advent Venture Partners, AgeChem, Bay City Capital, Gilde Healthcare, MPM Capital, and Roche Venture Fund.

Conatus also operates an online presence at conatuspharma.com that functions as a direct-to-consumer pharmacy selling generic medications (including generic Viagra/Sildenafil, Levitra/Vardenafil, Stendra/Avanafil, Vibramycin/Doxycycline, Tetracycline, and Aralen/Chloroquine) with flat-rate standard and express shipping and a 50-70% claimed price advantage over US pharmacy pricing, plus partnered programs with HealthPartners (Medication Adherence using smart pill bottles) and local nonprofits (Community Health Outreach mobile clinics). The Terms of Use are governed by California law and the website itself warns customers about fraudsters impersonating the Canadian pharmacy, indicating brand impersonation risk that complicates attribution of pharmacy-side activity to the listed biotech entity. Headcount is small (11-50 employees) and no commercial product revenue is disclosed, consistent with a clinical-stage therapeutics developer.

Name

Conatus Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Conatus Pharmaceuticals

Website

https://conatuspharma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conatus Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company (NASDAQ:CNAT) developing emricasan, a first-in-class caspase inhibitor for liver disease and cancer, backed by 130+ patents and venture funding from Aberdare, Advent, AgeChem, MPM, and Roche.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Pharmacy

NAICS

Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541), Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Care Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Clinical Trial Pharmacy & IMP Management at Site (HLAGACAK)

Keywords

• Online pharmacy
• Generic medications
• Prescription fulfillment
• Pharmaceutical retail
• Medication management

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling generic and brand-name medications directly to consumers. Products include erectile dysfunction medications (Viagra generics, Levitra, Stendra), antibiotics (Vibramycin/Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Aralen/Chloroquine), and other pharmaceuticals. Pricing is volume-based with discounts for larger pack sizes.
2. Shipping Services: Revenue from shipping fees for medication delivery. Standard shipping at $10 flat rate, Express shipping at $30 flat rate. International shipping available to multiple countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Conatus Pharmaceuticals operates a Canadian online pharmacy (conatuspharma.com) that dispenses generic and brand-name prescription and non-prescription medications directly to consumers. The platform offers an e-commerce catalog covering erectile dysfunction treatments, antibiotics, antimalarials and other therapeutics, with pharmacist support, prescription uploads, international shipping and volume-based discounts that price Canadian medications significantly below US benchmarks.

Product overview

Conatus Pharmaceuticals (Canadian Pharmacy) operates an online pharmacy platform offering a diverse portfolio of generic medications and healthcare services. The core product portfolio includes generic medications for erectile dysfunction (Generic Viagra/Sildenafil, Stendra/Avanafil, Levitra/Vardenafil), antibiotics (Vibramycin/Doxycycline, Tetracycline), and anti-malaria treatments (Aralen/Chloroquine). Supporting the medication catalog, the company offers patient care programs including Medication Management, Wellness and Prevention, and Specialty Pharmacy Services. Partnered programs with HealthPartners (Medication Adherence Program using smart pill bottles) and local nonprofits (Community Health Outreach with mobile clinics) extend the service ecosystem. Emricasan, a first-in-class caspase inhibitor for liver disease, represents the company's advanced pharmaceutical development pipeline.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Generic Viagra (Sildenafil) Sildenafil citrate tablets used to treat erectile dysfunction, offered in multiple dosage forms with volume discounts. Targeted at individual consumers seeking affordable ED medication.
• Vibramycin Generic (Doxycycline) Wide-spectrum antibiotic for bacterial infections including respiratory tract infections, STDs and acne, supplied in 100mg and 200mg dosages. Targeted at individual consumers with valid prescriptions.
• Stendra Generic (Avanafil) Generic version of Stendra (Avanafil) used to treat erectile dysfunction, intended for use under medical supervision. Targeted at adult male consumers.
• Levitra Generic (Vardenafil) Vardenafil tablets for erectile dysfunction, typically recommended at 10mg with effects lasting 8-10 hours. Targeted at individual consumers seeking affordable ED treatment.
• Aralen Generic (Chloroquine) Antiprotozoal and anti-inflammatory medication primarily used to treat and prevent malaria, also prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and certain infectious liver and skin conditions. Targeted at consumers with valid prescriptions.
• Tetracycline Generic Wide-spectrum antibiotic for bacterial infections including bronchitis, pneumonia, gonorrhea, chlamydia, Lyme disease and skin infections, available in 250mg and 500mg tablet forms. Targeted at individual consumers.
• Medication Management Program Service providing personalized medication review and customized care plans to optimize medication therapy, assess drug interactions and ensure maximum benefit with least risk. Targeted at individual consumers on chronic or multi-drug regimens.
• Wellness and Prevention Program Prevention-focused program offering health screenings (blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes) and lifestyle coaching covering smoking cessation, weight management and stress management. Targeted at individual consumers.
• Specialty Pharmacy Services Specialty services providing access to medications for rare or complex conditions, including insurance approvals and financial aid program support. Targeted at patients requiring specialty therapeutics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% reduction in emergency room visits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Global Canadian PharmacyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner supplier selected to ensure all products are top-notch. Provides wide selection of drugs and special promotions, ensuring security and easy shopping experience.
• HealthPartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship Medication Adherence Program using smart pill bottles and smartphone app notifications to monitor medication usage and send reminders. Over 75% of participants report improved adherence, with 30% reduction in ER visits.
• Local Nonprofit OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Health Outreach initiative with mobile clinics visiting rural and urban underserved areas. Provides free health screenings, vaccinations, and educational workshops. Served over 10,000 individuals in the past year.
• NovartisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Novartis to ensure access to cutting-edge treatments and remain at the forefront of medical advancements.
• Abbott LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in cancer research and development as part of continued track record of collaborative drug discovery partnerships with large pharmaceutical companies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Intercept Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage and commercial biotech developing therapeutics for chronic liver diseases, notably obeticholic acid (OCA) for NASH/liver fibrosis — the most direct emricasan competitor in the same indications and prescriber audience.
• Madrigal Pharmaceuticals: Small-cap clinical-stage biotech advancing resmetirom for NASH and liver fibrosis. Highly comparable in size, stage, and mechanistic focus to Conatus' emricasan program.
• Genfit: Clinical-stage biotech developing elafibranor and other candidates for NASH and liver-related metabolic disorders; competes head-to-head with emricasan for the same hepatology opportunity.
• NGM Biopharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage biotech with multiple liver/metabolic programs including NASH candidates, broadly comparable in therapeutic area and stage of development.
• Tobira Therapeutics: Pre-acquisition clinical-stage NASH peer developing cenicriviroc; pursued the same fibroinflammatory liver population targeted by emricasan before being acquired by Allergan. Closely comparable in scope and scale.
• Galectin Therapeutics: Small clinical-stage biotech developing GR-MD-02 for NASH and liver fibrosis — directly comparable in indication, modality of fibrosis treatment, and small-cap public profile.

Broad incumbents

• Gilead Sciences: Large-cap biopharma with a meaningful NASH and liver fibrosis pipeline (simtizumab, selonsertib) and eventual commercialization capacity across the same hepatology specialty audience.
• Allergan / AbbVie: Through its acquisition of Tobira and other deals, Allergan/AbbVie has assembled a NASH franchise directly competing with emricasan's target population and brings far broader development and commercial resources.

Emerging players

• Viking Therapeutics: Small-cap clinical biotech with metabolic and liver-related programs; comparable in size and stage, with partially overlapping therapeutic focus rather than identical mechanism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conatus-pharmaceuticals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Conatus Pharmaceuticals