Castle Creek Biosciences Appoints Matthew Gantz as President and CEO

Rare Daily Staff

Cell and gene therapy drug developer Castle Creek Biosciences said it has appointed Matthew Gantz as president and chief executive officer and will also serve as a member of the company’s Board of Directors.

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, and founder, chairman and CEO of Paragon Biosciences.

Castle Creek, a portfolio company of Paragon Biosciences, is 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 lead candidate D-Fi (dabocemagene autoficel), an experimental, cell-based gene therapy that is administered intradermally for the localized treatment of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB).

DEB is one of the major forms of epidermolysis bullosa, a rare condition that in severe cases often involves widespread blistering that can lead to vision loss, disfigurement, and other serious medical problems. DEB is caused by mutations in the COL7A1 gene and may be inherited in an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive manner depending on the subtype.

Gantz is a life sciences executive with more than 25 years of experience in the specialty biopharmaceutical and medical device industries, having previously served as CEO of OxThera. He has also held executive leadership positions with BTG, Acureon Pharmaceuticals, Hydra Biosciences, Chiron, PathoGenesis, and Abbott Laboratories. Gantz is currently a board member of Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, 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.

Photo: Matthew Gantz as president and chief executive officer of Castle Creek Biosciences