Phase 1b HEART-1 Clinical Trial Evaluating the Efficacy of Verve Therapeutics' VERVE-101 in Cardiovascular Disease

Verve Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company pioneering a new approach to the care of cardiovascular disease, potentially transforming treatment from chronic management to single-course gene editing medicines.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally, taking the lives of millions of people each year. Verve's gene editing medicines are designed to target the underlying causes of CVD, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, and to provide long-term relief from symptoms.

The company’s program VERVE-101 is a single-course in vivo liver base editing medicine, is currently being evaluated in Phase 1b heart-1 clinical trial in patients with high-risk heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH), established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and uncontrolled LDL-C levels on oral standard-of-care therapy.

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) is an inherited condition that causes high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also known as "bad" cholesterol, in the blood. It is caused by a mutation in the gene that codes for the LDL receptor, which is responsible for removing LDL cholesterol from the blood. As a result, people with HeFH have difficulty clearing LDL cholesterol from their blood, which can lead to the buildup of plaque in the arteries and the development of cardiovascular disease. Inactivation of the PCSK9 gene in the liver can be effective in lowering LDL-C levels. VERVE-101 is designed to do just that.

Verve therapeutics’ gene editing medicines have the potential to revolutionize the way that CVD is treated.