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Chiasma

Biotech & Life Sciences · Jerusalem, Israel · Founded 2001 · IPO 2015

Chiasma, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing oral treatments for rare and chronic diseases. Founded in 2001 in Israel, the company later established its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts. The company's primary focus was on acromegaly, a rare hormonal disorder. The core of Chiasma's work revolved around its proprietary Transient Permeability Enhancer (TPE) technology platform. This platform was designed to enable the oral administration of drugs that would otherwise require injection. The company's lead product candidate, Mycapssa® (octreotide), was developed using this TPE technology. Mycapssa was designed as an oral alternative to the standard-of-care injectable somatostatin analogs for the long-term maintenance treatment of adults with acromegaly. Chiasma's business model was centered on the research, development, and subsequent commercialization of its product candidates. Revenue was anticipated from the sales of approved drugs like Mycapssa. The company's target market included endocrinologists and other healthcare providers treating patients with acromegaly. The company achieved a significant milestone with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Mycapssa in June 2020. In August 2021, Chiasma was acquired by Amryt Pharma plc, a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company. The acquisition was valued at approximately $330 million. As a result of this merger, Chiasma ceased to operate as an independent entity and its stock was delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange. Keywords: biopharmaceutical, acromegaly, oral drug delivery, octreotide, Mycapssa, rare diseases, endocrinology, TPE technology, Amryt Pharma, orphan drugs