Vasculonics, Inc. Awarded a $2.2 Million Dollar Phase II SBIR Grant
Vasculonics, Inc. Awarded a $2.2 Million Dollar Phase II SBIR Grant to Develop a First-In-Class Disease Modifying Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Vasculonics, Inc., an emerging biopharma company developing therapies to treat fibrotic disease, today announced that they are the recipient of a Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health – National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) for $2.2 million. The Phase II award is to continue the development of VN-1032, Vasculonics’ first-in-class, orally administered therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) targeting the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) selectively. PAH is a progressive and devastating disease, characterized by obstructive remodeling of the distal pulmonary vasculature, leading to right ventricular failure and ultimately death. Currently available vasodilator drugs such as endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors alleviate the symptoms of PAH, but they do not significantly reduce disease progression or mortality. Vasculonics VN-1032 is a new generation of disease modifying therapy with potential to reduce disease progression, promote regression, and improve survival and quality of life of PAH patients. In preclinical studies, VN-1032 significantly reduced lung vascular remodeling, inflammation and fibrosis, and improved lung function.
The grant funding will be provided over two years, and Vasculonics is concurrently seeking a seed round of investment funding to conduct complimentary IND-enabling studies leading to initiation of a clinical trial in PAH within 3 years. Dr. Jaipal Singh, Vasculonics’ founder and Chief Scientific Officer is principal investigator on the project and will lead the development of VN-1032. Earlier funding to Vasculonics included SBIR phase I and the prestigious Catalyze grant from the NHLBI.
“These peer review grants from the NIH have been key to the early development of VN-1032. We are grateful for their continued support as we progress this novel, disease-modifying therapy into the clinic, and it builds on several other significant grants from NIH and others Vasculonics has received and validates the tremendous potential for PAH patients this new therapy has” said Jon Northrup, Vasculonics’ CEO.
About Vasculonics
Based in Indianapolis, Vasculonics, Inc. is a preclinical stage biopharma company developing therapies targeting novel mechanisms of inflammation and fibrosis in severe diseases with high unmet need including PAH, chronic kidney disease, and cardiac fibrosis. Vasculonics Inc. was founded in 2020 based on foundational research conducted by Dr. Singh and colleagues at Indiana University Medical School. For more information, visit https://www.vasculonics.com.
Contact:
Michael Coleman
Chief Business Officer
mcoleman@vasculonics.com
+1 (832) 866-4525