# Targeting a disease-specific conformation of fibronectin as a novel approach for liver fibrosis treatment

> **NIH NIH R41** · VASARYA THERAPEUTICS, INC. · 2024 · $295,921

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
The overarching goal of this Phase I STTR application is to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of a novel
approach to hepatic fibrosis treatment and to explore its clinical translatability. Hepatic fibrosis is
a progressive liver disease caused by multiple etiologies and can be seen in most patients with
chronic liver injury. While initially reversible, hepatic fibrosis is often left untreated due to its
asymptomatic nature and thus can progress into an irreversible late stage resulting in liver
cirrhosis, portal hypertension, liver failure, and eventually, death. Unfortunately, there are
currently no FDA-approved drugs available to treat liver fibrosis. VSR-H5 is a novel therapeutic
that specifically targets a unique epitope within the extracellular matrix (ECM) only in areas of
undergoing active ECM remodeling and fibrogenesis, disrupting pro-fibrotic myofibroblast
activation. This novel approach specifically avoids systemic disruption of critical, normal integrin
receptor engagement, thus represents an approach that can achieve both high potency and
strong safety. In this proposal we will explore two aims: 1) establish the in vivo efficacy of VSR-
H5 in treating liver fibrosis using a well-established Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced mouse
liver fibrosis model; and 2) determine the clinical translatability of VSR-H5 by confirming the
presence of the target epitope in human cirrhotic liver tissue and evaluating the antibody's ability
to reverse fibrotic cellular phenotypes in primary human liver stellate cells our established and
validated human in vitro fibrosis model. Successful completion of this Phase I STTR will provide
the data necessary to justify further investment in this strategy toward treating liver fibrosis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10919617
- **Project number:** 1R41DK138519-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** VASARYA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Jagathpala Shetty
- **Activity code:** R41 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $295,921
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-01 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10919617

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10919617, Targeting a disease-specific conformation of fibronectin as a novel approach for liver fibrosis treatment (1R41DK138519-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10919617. Licensed CC0.

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