Verseon Corporation announced that dosing has started in the phase I clinical trial of VE-1902, the Company's leading candidate for a new class of PRecision Oral AntiCoagulants (PROACs). Preclinical data suggest that PROACs could become the first anticoagulants suitable for long-term co-administration with antiplatelet agents for the prevention of stroke and heart attack in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Anticoagulants, commonly referred to as blood thinners, are used to prevent stroke and venous thromboembolism. However, current anticoagulants substantially increase major bleeding events, a potentially fatal side effect, especially when they are administered together with antiplatelet drugs (e.g., aspirin, PlavixTM). As a result, current treatment guidelines generally do not recommend combined anticoagulant-antiplatelet treatment for longer than twelve months. In preclinical testing, PROACs have shown a unique combination of efficacy with lower bleeding. In particular, PROACs have demonstrated the ability to prevent the formation of blood clots without disrupting platelet function. These results suggest that VE-1902 and other PROACs in Verseon's pipeline may be safer alternatives than currently available therapeutics when administered in combination with one or more antiplatelet agents. The ongoing phase I trial, which is a single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study assessing the safety, tolerability, and composite hemostatic profile of Verseon's lead PROAC VE-1902, is expected to continue dosing through third quarter 2019 with first results in fourth quarter of 2019.