For nearly 20 years, Cato BioVentures and Cato Research have assisted entrepreneurs and established management teams in building successful life science companies. We focus on early-stage investment opportunities in private companies and development stage opportunities in undervalued public companies. Through strategic partnerships with Cato Research, we invest our in-kind CRO Service Capital™ in development and regulatory programs involving innovative therapeutics, medical devices  and diagnostics. We also invest in embryonic stem cell-based platform tools and technologies for improved drug discovery and development. If strategic outsourcing to CROs for development resources and regulatory support is a core component of a company’s business plan, then Cato BioVentures and Cato Research can make a difference in the company’s overall success. 

Cato BioVentures’ CRO Service Capital™ offers promising life science companies immediate access to a broad range of essential CRO services on a noncash basis, especially during the “bridge” period between the company’s formation or initial angel financing and its first institutional financing. Access to these critical-time CRO services enable management to achieve key value-added development and regulatory milestones with less reliance on venture capital and public equity markets.

Among the key critical-time deliverables available to our early-stage portfolio companies is an Integrated Drug Development Plan (Cato IDD Plan™). In a manner similar to a company’s Business Plan, the Cato IDD Plan™ is a comprehensive and dynamic document that serves as a flexible management tool for planning and executing all necessary components of the company’s successful drug, device or diagnostic development program. Importantly, the Cato IDD Plan™ assists management in its efforts to articulate its strategic development and regulatory “game plan” to the investment community, prospective corporate partners and the FDA.    

We focus on high value potential life science drug candidates and technology opportunities at all stages of development and across multiple therapeutic and technical areas, especially novel therapeutics for central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and cancer and selected medical device, diagnostic and platform tools and technologies for improved disease and drug discovery and drug delivery, with special emphasis on next generation embryonic stem cell-based technologies and skin penetration enhancement delivery systems.

We are uniquely interested in product development opportunities in public companies that have gone off track or fallen out of favor with the investment community for various reasons. We often operate in a “product rescue mode” with respect to such opportunities, often significantly at risk. If our CRO know-how and expertise can make a meaningful difference in the successful restart or continued development of the off-track product development program, then our investment model is a potential fit for a distressed company or its out-of-favor development program.   

Broadly stated, the core components of our successful investment track record are simple. We invest our CRO Service Capital™ in:

(a) experienced people driven to improve the health of others through hard work and innovation; and

(b) opportunities to make a difference in development outcomes by making a difference in  development programs early and often.

Grounded firmly in our commitment to risk-sharing, teamwork, high level communication, and respect for our strategic partners, we offer emerging private companies and undervalued public companies unique and flexible access to the collective drug development and regulatory expertise of over 300 CRO employees worldwide, as well as an experienced team of life science investors and corporate executives with a proven track record of success. We believe that the key factor determining the success or failure of early-stage life science companies is the people; primarily people, not drug candidates or technology, make the difference. Our goal is to help the management teams of our portfolio companies make a difference in healthcare.  

Partnering strategy/interests

•    Strategic partnerships with high value potential life science drug candidates and technology opportunities at all stages of development and across multiple therapeutic and technical areas
•    Special interest in strategic partnership partnership opportunities involving novel therapeutics for central nervous system disorders, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, and cancer and selected medical device, diagnostic and platform tools and technologies for improved disease and drug discovery and drug delivery, especially next generation embryonic stem cell-based technologies and skin penetration enhancement delivery systems.
•    Searching for strategic marketing partner for NutreStore.