CatalYm announced the appointment of Christian S. Schade as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The Munich and San Francisco-based biotechnology company made the announcement as it advances four late-stage clinical studies of its lead drug candidate visugromab, a GDF-15 inhibitor.

Schade brings over 30 years of executive leadership experience in private and public biopharmaceutical companies. He most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Halda Therapeutics until its $3.05 billion acquisition by Johnson & Johnson in December 2025.

"With recent positive clinical data, multiple ongoing clinical studies, and a strong leadership team with deep biotechnology and drug development expertise, CatalYm is well positioned for continued clinical and corporate success," Schade said.

Prior to Halda, Schade was a Growth Partner at Flagship Pioneering and served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of Aprea Therapeutics (NASDAQ: APRE) from 2016 to 2022. Under his leadership, Aprea completed its IPO in 2019. He previously held executive roles at Novira, Omthera Pharmaceuticals, and Medarex, companies that were acquired by Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, and Bristol Myers Squibb, respectively.

Schade began his career in corporate finance and capital markets at Merrill Lynch and J.P. Morgan. He holds an A.B. degree from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

CatalYm is developing visugromab as a treatment for solid tumors and cachexia. The company is currently conducting Phase 2b studies in metastatic non-squamous lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cachexia. The company was founded in 2016 and is backed by investors including Canaan Partners, Omega Funds, Forbion, and the Novartis Venture Fund.