Vasa Therapeutics Announces Oral Presentation on VS-214 at the 2026 Vascular Discovery Meeting of American Heart Association

VS-214, a Long-Acting Apelin Agonist, Highlighted as a Potential First-in-Class Treatment for Peripheral Artery Disease

ENCINITAS, Calif., May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Vasa Therapeutics ("Vasa"), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic aging, announced today that its abstract titled, "Discovery of VS-214, a long-acting apelin agonist, as a first-in-class treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD)", has been selected for oral presentation at the 2026 Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions, taking place May 13– 16, 2026, in Bellevue, Washington.

The presentation will be featured in "Concurrent Session 1b: Peripheral Arterial Disease, Aortic Aneurysm, and Cerebrovascular Disease" on May 14^th, 2026, from 10:30am to 12:00pm in the Regency Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue. The presentation will be delivered by Vasa's Chief Executive Officer, Artur Plonowski, MD, PhD.

"Apelin biology represents a promising and underexplored approach in vascular medicine," said Artur Plonowski, MD, PhD of Vasa Therapeutics. "Our data supporting VS-214 demonstrates the potential of long-acting apelin agonism to improve limb blood flow and restore walking capacity, being the first pharmacological approach to mimic the supervised exercise therapy in symptomatic PAD. We are honored that this work has been selected for oral presentation at Vascular Discovery and look forward to sharing our findings with the scientific community." 

Vascular Discovery is a premier scientific meeting of the American Heart Association, focused on translational research advancing cardiovascular and peripheral vascular diseases. Selection for an oral presentation reflects recognition of the scientific significance and innovation underlying the VS-214 program, which is currently advancing toward a first-in-human study in 2026.  

VS-214 is a long-acting peptide analog of apelin designed to promote neovascularization, improve limb perfusion, and restore muscle endurance in patients with symptomatic PAD. PAD, a circulatory condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, affects an estimated 10 to 12 million people in the United States, with prevalence increasing with age and risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.  PAD is a leading cause of non-traumatic limb amputation, with roughly 400 Americans losing a limb to the disease every day. Despite its prevalence and impact on disability, PAD remains an area of significant unmet medical need and has no meaningful pharmacological treatment available.

About Vasa Therapeutics

Vasa Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering first-inclass innovation for cardiovascular, neuromuscular and age-related disorders. By focusing on mechanisms with strong clinical relevance, Vasa aims to deliver disease-modifying therapies that drive real patient impact through clinically meaningful and durable outcomes for patients. By pairing the right mechanism with the right chemistry, and with its proprietary know-how and expertise, Vasa is leading the way to create new standards of care.

Vasa has engineered a pipeline of four differentiated assets targeting unmet medical needs in heart failure, peripheral artery disease, neuromuscular disorders, sarcopenia and life-threatening arrhythmias.

The company is headquartered in Encinitas, CA.  For more information, please visit www.vasatherapeutics.com.               

Investor and Media Contact:
Mike Geremia
Chief Financial Officer  
[email protected]        

SOURCE Vasa Therapeutics