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 increased risk of various adverse clinical outcomes and other cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and 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

Apelin analogs for muscle health

Apelin is a natural hormone that improves muscle function and enhances overall benefits of exercise including myofiber regeneration, increased blood supply to the muscle, and reversion of age-related sarcopenia. Our vast library of long-acting apelin analogs enables precise matching of activity profile with specific needs of different patient populations.

VS-214 is a development candidate dedicated to rare neuromuscular diseases. Preclinical data demonstrates increased muscle strength, and endurance in models of muscular dystrophies, including FSHD, spinal muscle atrophy, spinal cord injury, and illness-related sarcopenias.

A separate long-acting apelin program is positioned for large market opportunities including peripheral artery disease and age-related sarcopenia, which is the most significant cause of disability and frailty in the elderly. This asset could also be used in combination with obesity therapy to promote healthy weight loss.

Our Solution

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).

Pipeline

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

Noreen Henig, MD
CMO

James Ahlers
CFO

Derek Cole, PhD
CSO

Benjamin Pratt, PhD
Co-Founder, VP of Chemistry

Joel Berger, PhD
VP of Business Development

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 PLN,European Union financing: 10 186 082,76 PLN

Development of an Innovative MMP Metalloproteinase
Inhibitor as a First-in-Class, Disease-Modifying Drug for
MMVD and SAS in Dogs (FENG.01.01-IP.01-A0GW/24-00).

Value of the project: 21 663 737,21PLN,European Union financing: 14 846 433,78 PLN

News & Press

June 4, 2025

Vasa Therapeutics Announces Successful Completion of First-in-Human Study for Investigational Therapy VS-041, a Small Molecule Drug Candidate for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fracture

View Press Release

September 3, 2024

Vasa Therapeutics Announces Initiation of Phase 1 First in Humans Clinical Trial of VS-041 for the Treatment of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

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

October 18, 2022

Vasa Therapeutics Announces Upcoming Presentations at AHA Scientific Sessions 2022

View Press Release

Publications

Inhibition of Cardiac Fibrosis and Pro-Fibrotic Collagen Hormone Endotrophin by VS-041, a Novel Drug Candidate for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction

Poster Presentation at American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2024 | November 16-18, 2024

View Publication

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