- First comprehensive systematic review provides insights into the long-term safety profile of angiogenic approaches in coronary artery disease (CAD) – treatments designed to grow new blood vessels
- Data shows no evidence of increased cancer or retinopathy, resolving long-standing safety questions that have limited progress across the field
- The data supports approaches such as Isomab’s ISM-001, a first-in-class antibody antagonist that takes a novel approach to restoring blood vessel growth and blood supply by removing a pathological brake on angiogenesis, rather than directly stimulating growth
Nottingham, UK, 28 August, 2026
Safety evidence announced today at the ESC Congress 2026 by UK biopharmaceutical company, Isomab Ltd, has reinforced the potential of a new class of therapies designed to promote blood vessel growth as a disease-modifying approach for coronary artery disease (CAD). The insights from a systematic review of clinical trial data evaluating growth factor approaches, spanning more than two decades, found no evidence of the hypothesized safety concerns associated with directly stimulating blood vessel growth – removing a major barrier that has constrained the field.
Isomab is set to advance its lead candidate ISM-001 towards first-in-human trials in patients with chronic angina who are refractory to treatment, a severe and common manifestation of CAD. Unlike growth factor approaches that directly stimulate blood vessel growth, ISM-001 takes a fundamentally different, first-in-class approach: a novel antibody therapeutic designed to selectively target VEGF-A165b, an inhibitor on angiogenesis – the process by which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels.
The systematic review analyzed 11 clinical studies evaluating growth factor approaches between 2002 and 2024 across 636 patients with angina or peripheral artery disease (n=441 proangiogenic therapy, n=195 placebo), with follow up periods ranging from two to 12 years.[1]
The analysis found no evidence of additional long-term safety risks for proangiogenic interventions, including VEGF‑A isoforms, compared with placebo or age-matched populations. Mean malignancy incidence was similar for pro-angiogenic interventions and placebo (0.84 vs 0.72 per 100 patient‑years) and was below the age‑matched population rate (1.0 per 100 patient‑years). Retinal events were rare in both groups and likewise below the age-matched population rate.
“These findings represent an important step forward for the field of therapeutic angiogenesis. They resolve safety questions that have clouded the perception of an entire class of treatments and give us a strong foundation as we advance ISM-001 towards first-in-human studies. Rather than forcing blood vessel growth, ISM-001 takes a fundamentally different approach by removing the overactive brake on this natural process caused by cardiovascular disease, allowing the heart’s own backup system to kick in and help restore blood flow where it’s needed,” said Professor David Bates, Isomab Chief Scientific Officer and study author.
A new treatment paradigm for restoring blood flow in coronary artery disease
Ischaemic heart disease is the leading cause of premature death globally, accounting for approximately 13% of deaths worldwide.[2]
Despite advances in treatment there remains significant need for disease-modifying approaches that restore blood flow to oxygen-deprived heart muscle.
When coronary arteries become narrowed or blocked, the heart attempts to compensate by growing new blood vessels that can help restore blood flow to oxygen-deprived tissue. However, in many people with CAD, this natural angiogenic response is insufficient, contributing to chest pain and irreversible heart damage.
Over the past three decades, numerous clinical trials have attempted to promote angiogenesis in ischaemic heart tissue, primarily by increasing levels of VEGF-A, a key regulator of blood vessel formation. However, these approaches have failed to deliver meaningful clinical benefit, in part because they focused on promoting angiogenesis without addressing the inhibitory mechanisms that can limit response.
Dr Philip Brainin, Isomab CEO, adds: “Given the scale and continuing burden of coronary artery disease, the opportunity to change the course of the disease is enormous. With ISM-001 we are looking to introduce a new treatment paradigm – rebalancing VEGF-A signaling to unlock the heart’s own capacity to heal itself.”
About Isomab
Isomab is a UK-based biotechnology company founded in 2022 as a spin-out from the University of Nottingham. It is developing a first-in-class antibody antagonist designed to restore blood supply in coronary artery disease by selectively targeting VEGF-A165b, an inhibitor of blood vessel growth.
Isomab’s lead candidate, ISM-001, is a humanized monoclonal antibody representing a novel class of disease-modifying, isoform-selective therapies designed to restore VEGF signaling, promote new blood vessel growth and improve oxygen delivery to the heart.
ISM-001 is being developed initially for chronic angina, the most common manifestation of coronary artery disease, with first-in-human studies in preparation. The company’s approach has potential applications across a range of cardiovascular and other ischemic diseases where inflammation plays a key role.
The scientific foundation of Isomab’s approach is based on the discovery of VEGF-A165b by Professor David Bates in 2001 and subsequent validation through more than 100 publications from independent laboratories worldwide.
About ISM-001
ISM-001 is designed to selectively block the inhibitory effects of VEGF-A165b, harnessing the body’s natural ability to grow new blood vessels and restore blood flow to ischemic tissue. Preclinical studies with a precursor antibody, have demonstrated unprecedented potential of this approach to restore blood vessel development and blood flow in ischemic tissue, supporting the development of ISM-001 as a novel therapeutic approach for the patients with ischemic heart disease. The lead indication for ISM-001 is chronic angina, the most common manifestation of CAD.
Contact:
Jo Shorthouse, 59 North Communications
[1] Brainin P, Burgess G, Bates D O. Assessment of long-term safety of pro-angiogenic growth approaches in cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. Presented at ESC Congress 2026, Munich, Germany, 28–31 August 2026. Abstract no 81819.
[2] World Health Organisation. Top 10 Causes of Death; August 2024. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death