VST BIO, a biotechnology company developing treatments for vascular diseases, announced the closing of its Series A financing round to support the advancement of its lead stroke therapy candidate, VB-001. The round was led by Coefficient Giving, a philanthropic funder focused on high-impact scientific and global health initiatives, with its partners investing a total of $45 million in the company since its founding in 2020.
Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance VB-001 into first-in-human clinical studies in 2026, expand the company’s therapeutic platform, and build out its core development capabilities. VB-001 is a monoclonal antibody targeting vascular inflammation and edema, with potential applications in acute ischemic stroke, sepsis, and cytokine release syndrome.
As part of the financing, VST BIO also appointed William Sessa to its Board of Directors. Sessa most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Internal Medicine at Pfizer, where he led programs from early discovery through Phase 2b clinical development. He is also an Alfred Gilman Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology at Yale School of Medicine.
VST BIO, headquartered in San Diego, remains a preclinical-stage company focused on developing first-in-class antibody therapies for vascular-related conditions, particularly ischemic stroke.
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“We are pleased to have completed this financing to support advancement of VB-001 for the benefit of stroke patients. The positive results of our monoclonal antibody in stroke preclinical studies demonstrated the potential of VB-001 to become an important treatment for patients with acute ischemic stroke.”
Krisztina Zsebo, Ph.D., CEO and Chairman of the Board, VST BIO Corporation
“Bill Sessa brings decades of experience in translating vascular therapeutics from basic research to proof-of-concept clinical trials, that will be invaluable as we enter our next phase of growth. His insights in drug development will strengthen our ability to deliver on our mission to stroke patients.”
Michael Simons, Co-Founder, VST BIO Corporation
“I am excited to work with VST BIO who is developing a first in class molecule targeting vascular inflammation in stroke patients. This bold approach, supported by extensive pre-clinical data, has the potential to transform the landscape for patients with this debilitating disease.”
William Sessa, Board Member, VST BIO Corporation
