Transformative therapies for diseases of cardiovascular aging

Vasa Therapeutics is a San Diego-based, private biotechnology company committed to the discovery and development of therapeutics that target pathophysiology of cardiovascular aging.

The Problem

As the word population ages, there’s a growing unmet medical need for the development of innovative drugs to treat heart failure, peripheral artery disease, scarcopenia, and other age-related diseases. Innovative therapies that target the pathophysiology of cardiovascular aging could extend a health lifespan of a large number of patients worldwide.

CVD

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, accounting for more than 17 million deaths worldwide each year. This figure is expected to reach over 23 million per year by 2030. The long-term prognosis associated with heart failure is worse than all but a few cancers, with 50% mortality after 4 years. By 2030, nearly half of the US population will suffer from CVD. This disease burden imposes substantial economic costs on societies, with 1–2% of all US healthcare expenditures, about $40B/year, going toward heart failure.

PAD

Peripheral artery disease is an atherosclerotic disease of the lower extremities associated with high cardiovascular mortality. PAD affects >230 million adults worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of various adverse clinical outcomes, other cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary heart disease, stroke and leg outcomes such as amputation. The prevalence of PAD rises with age and affects a substantial proportion of the elderly population (>20% in >80-year-old individuals). (ref: NCBI)

Over

230 million

Adults worldwide affected by PAD

Sarcopenia

The population of adults aged over 60 years worldwide is predicted to expand to 2 billion by 2050. Sarcopenia is the most significant cause of disability and frailty in the elderly. The prevalence of sarcopenia among individuals 60-70 years of age is 5%-13% and increases to 50% in those over 80 years of age (EWGSOP). The sarcopenia global market size was $2.6B in 2020 and projected to grow to $4.7B by 2030.

Our Solution

Vasa has three active preclinical programs:

1. VS-041 is the first personalized medicine-based treatment of HFpEF. VS-041 shows robust reduction of cardiac fibrosis in a preclinical HFpEF model and inhibits release of signaling collagen fragments, such as PRO-C6, that mediate fibroinflammatory responses and are biomarkers of worse outcomes in HFpEF patients. Phase 1 clinical trial of VS-041 is planned for Q2 2024.

2. Long acting apelin peptide analogs for combination treatment with incretins in obesity patients at risk for skeletal muscle loss or cardiovascular disease. As a monotherapy, long acting apelin agonists could also be beneficial in muscle atrophy, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and peripheral artery disease.

3. A best-in-class inhibitor of CamKIId for heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias.

Platform

At Vasa Therapeutics, the overall drug discovery process begins and ends with our cutting-edge computational chemistry and design platform. Our process integrates everything from the strategic identification of viable biological targets to the design and identification of small molecule or peptide therapeutics that are triaged through our drug discovery testing funnel, both in-house and with a network of strategic partnerships and international contract research organizations (CROs).

About Us

Company

Vasa Therapeutics, Inc. is a private, preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery and development of therapeutics that target the pathophysiology of cardiovascular aging. Vasa has locations in California and Poland, strategically placed in vibrant academic and biotechnology innovation centers.

Leadership

We are a world-class, founder-led team with an outstanding track record of successful development of numerous clinical candidates and commercial drugs spanning multiple therapeutic areas and modalities resulting in several exits values at greater than $1B (USD).

Artur Plonowski, MD, PhD
CEO, Co-Founder

Derek Cole, PhD
CSO

Benjamin Pratt, PhD
Co-Founder, VP of Chemistry

Joel Berger, PhD
VP of Business Development

Wes Bochenek, MD, PhD
EVP Medical Affairs

Christopher Larson, PhD
Co-Founder, Advisor

Investors

Vasa series seed was led by Orphinic Scientific SA, an early-stage investor focused on companies with game-changing potential. The round also included participation from private investments funds NuFund Venture Group, SeedFolio, and others.

Grant Projects

Preclinical development and phase I clinical trial of innovative drug candidate for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (POIR.01.01.01-00-1210/19-01).‍

Value of the project: 13 220 234,42 PLNEuropean Union financing: 10 186 082,76 PLN‍

News & Press

October 18, 2022

Vasa Therapeutics Announces Upcoming Presentations at AHA Scientific Sessions 2022

View Press Release

January 3, 2024

Vasa Therapeutics Announces Closing of Seed Financing to Advance Novel Therapies for Diseases of Cardiovascular Aging

View Press Release

Contact

US Headquarters

Vasa Therapeutics, Inc.
533 2nd Street, Suite 350
Encinitas, CA 92024

Poland Lab and Office

Vasa Therapeutics Sp. z o.o.
ul. Duńska 9/D009
54-427 Wrocław, Poland

Interested in learning more, contact us at

info@vasatherapeutics.com