{"recordId":"st_1tarkzdpuyfssehx","canonicalUrl":"https://sotwire.com/stories/pelthos-therapeutics-castle-creek-biosciences-merger-durham","jsonUrl":"https://sotwire.com/stories/pelthos-therapeutics-castle-creek-biosciences-merger-durham/record","slug":"pelthos-therapeutics-castle-creek-biosciences-merger-durham","headline":"Pelthos agrees to combine with Castle Creek Biosciences","dek":"The Durham dermatology company will add a late-stage gene-modified cell therapy for a rare inherited skin disease.","articleBody":"Pelthos Therapeutics, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Durham, has signed a definitive agreement under which Castle Creek Biosciences of Exton, Pennsylvania, will merge with Pelthos, the companies announced on Oct. 30, 2026. The combined company will operate as Pelthos Therapeutics and keep trading on the NYSE American under the ticker PTHS.\n\nCastle Creek's lead candidate is D-Fi (dabocemagene autoficel, also called FCX-007), an injectable, redosable, gene-modified cell therapy for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB), a rare inherited skin disease. A continued Phase 3 study is planned. D-Fi is investigational and has Orphan Drug Designation, and the FDA has also given it Rare Pediatric Disease, Fast Track and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy designations for recessive DEB. Pelthos already markets three FDA-approved products: ZELSUVMI, XEPI and XEGLYZE.\n\n\"This transformative combination brings a novel platform with significant growth potential to Pelthos and broadens our focus beyond cutaneous infectious diseases to serious diseases that affect the skin,\" said Scott Plesha, CEO of Pelthos.\n\nUnder the agreement, Castle Creek stockholders will receive 5,200,000 Pelthos shares at closing, about 32.5% of Pelthos' fully diluted shares, plus contingent shares and milestone payments tied to D-Fi's development and sales. Both boards have approved the deal, which is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2027, subject to customary conditions including approval by Castle Creek's stockholders. Plesha will remain CEO, Peter Greenleaf will serve as executive chair, and the combined board will have 10 directors, two of them designated by Castle Creek.","category":"other","categoryLabel":"Company news","location":"Durham, NC","company":{"name":"Pelthos Therapeutics","domain":"pelthos.com"},"sample":false,"sampleDisclaimer":null,"publishedAt":"2026-10-30T13:45:35.396Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-30T13:45:35.396Z","badge":"Desk reported","trust":{"level":"desk_reported","doctrine":"Sotwire verifies who at the company stood behind the submission. It does not independently certify every underlying company claim as true.","verifies":"which named Sotwire editor wrote this from the cited sources","doesNotCertify":"independent truth of every claim","badge":"Desk reported","verificationMethod":"Named Sotwire editor, from the cited sources. Not a company attestation, and not an independent fact-check of every sentence.","domainChecked":false},"attestation":{"attested":false},"confirmation":null,"facts":[{"label":"Deal","value":"Castle Creek Biosciences to merge with Pelthos"},{"label":"Combined company","value":"Pelthos Therapeutics (NYSE American: PTHS)"},{"label":"Shares at closing","value":"5,200,000 Pelthos shares, about 32.5% fully diluted"},{"label":"Lead candidate added","value":"D-Fi (FCX-007), investigational, for dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa"},{"label":"Pelthos products","value":"ZELSUVMI, XEPI, XEGLYZE"},{"label":"Expected close","value":"By end of Q1 2027, subject to conditions"},{"label":"Leadership","value":"Scott Plesha, CEO; Peter Greenleaf, executive chair"},{"label":"Headquarters","value":"Durham, NC"}],"keyEvents":[{"date":"2026-10-30","label":"Definitive merger agreement announced"},{"date":"2027-03","label":"Expected closing, by end of Q1 2027"}],"sources":[{"url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/30/3392256/0/en/pelthos-therapeutics-to-combine-with-castle-creek-biosciences-creating-transformative-biotechnology-company-focused-on-serious-diseases-that-affect-the-skin.html","title":"Pelthos Therapeutics to Combine with Castle Creek Biosciences, Creating Transformative Biotechnology Company Focused on Serious Diseases that Affect the Skin","publisher":"Pelthos Therapeutics via GlobeNewswire"}],"source":{"url":"https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/30/3392256/0/en/pelthos-therapeutics-to-combine-with-castle-creek-biosciences-creating-transformative-biotechnology-company-focused-on-serious-diseases-that-affect-the-skin.html","publisher":"Pelthos Therapeutics","publishedAt":"2026-10-30T13:09:00.000Z"},"cover":{"url":"https://sotwire.com/covers/pelthos-therapeutics-castle-creek-biosciences-merger-durham.webp","alt":"Pelthos agrees to combine with Castle Creek Biosciences","provenance":"unknown","provenanceLabel":"Unknown origin","credit":null},"images":[],"provenanceMethod":"EXIF, XMP, and filename heuristic. 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