Conatus Pharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of novel medicines to treat liver disease. Its lead compound, emricasan, is a first-in-class, orally active pan-caspase protease inhibitor designed to reduce the activity of human caspases, which are enzymes that mediate inflammation and apoptosis. The Company believes that by reducing the activity of these enzymes, emricasan has the potential to interrupt the progression of liver disease and potentially provide treatment options in multiple areas of liver disease.