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Protein / target

Vascular endothelial growth factor A, long form

Encoded byVEGFAP15692Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
8
Approved medicines
Open Targets target-level
View by indication →
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Structure with Ligand

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 binding

Strongest disease association

Diabetic Retinopathy

Via encoding gene VEGFA · Genetic literature evidence · score 0.61

Therapeutic position

Established drug target

Antibodies

Research activity

Actively researched

33 papers · latest 2024

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function overview

Participates in the induction of key genes involved in the response to hypoxia and in the induction of angiogenesis such as HIF1A.

View complete UniProt function annotation

Participates in the induction of key genes involved in the response to hypoxia and in the induction of angiogenesis such as HIF1A (PubMed:35455969). Involved in protecting cells from hypoxia-mediated cell death (By similarity)

Subcellular location

CytoplasmNucleusSecretedEndoplasmic reticulumGolgi apparatusSecreted, extracellular space, extracellular matrix
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (127)

Gene Ontology

  • Cadherens junction
  • Ccell surface
  • Ccytoplasm
  • Cendoplasmic reticulum
  • Cextracellular matrix
  • Cextracellular region
  • Cextracellular space
  • CGolgi apparatus
  • Cmembrane
  • Cnucleus
  • Cplatelet alpha granule lumen
  • Csecretory granule

395 aa · 44 kDa · 17 isoforms

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Cell migrationGOGrowth-factor signallingGOCell proliferation & survivalGOReceptor tyrosine kinase signallingGOImmune signallingGO · ReactomeCell adhesionUniProt · GO
View supporting evidence

Cell migration

  • ·basophil chemotaxis
  • ·cell migration involved in sprouting angiogenesis
  • ·endothelial cell chemotaxis
  • ·induction of positive chemotaxis

Growth-factor signalling

  • ·positive regulation of cell proliferation by VEGF-activated platelet derived growth fact…
  • ·positive regulation of endothelial cell chemotaxis by VEGF-activated vascular endothelia…
  • ·vascular endothelial growth factor receptor signaling pathway

Cell proliferation & survival

  • ·positive regulation of cell population proliferation
  • ·positive regulation of cell proliferation by VEGF-activated platelet derived growth fact…

Receptor tyrosine kinase signalling

  • ·transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase activator activity

Immune signalling

  • ·cytokine activity
  • ·positive regulation of mast cell chemotaxis
  • ·positive regulation of trophoblast cell migration
  • ·Interleukin-4 and Interleukin-13 signaling

Cell adhesion

  • ·Secreted, extracellular space, extracellular matrix
  • ·extracellular matrix
  • ·extracellular matrix binding
  • ·negative regulation of cell-cell adhesion mediated by cadherin
View underlying pathways (10)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Approved medicines with mapped indications

3 medicines · 6 areas

Approved therapies targeting this protein, grouped by what they are approved to treat — the disease-first view of the medicines below. Relationships come from the canonical approved-indication graph (ChEMBL phase-4), the same source as the drug cards.

Retinal Neovascularization3 medicines
Diabetes Complications2 medicines
Macular Edema2 medicines
Colorectal Neoplasms1 medicine
Diabetic Retinopathy1 medicine
Broader indication categories (1)
Neoplasms1 medicine

Broad umbrella indications (e.g. “Neoplasms”). Shown here because every medicine also appears under a more specific disease above — kept for completeness, de-emphasised for clarity.

8 medicines meet Open Targets' target-level approved-medicine definition; the 3 shown here are those on this page with a canonical approved disease indication in the graph. Approved indications from ChEMBL (phase-4), via the canonical drug→disease graph.

Drugs targeting this protein

4

How approved and investigational drugs engage this protein — mechanism and action type, direct vs complex targeting, and how broadly each acts across other targets. A drug-first view (the section above groups the approved ones disease-first); direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

aflibercept
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Vascular endothelial growth factor A inhibitor

Indicated for Colorectal Neoplasms, Diabetes Complications, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Edema

Direct interaction with this protein · 1 of 2 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

faricimab
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Vascular endothelial growth factor A inhibitor

Indicated for Diabetes Complications, Macular Edema, Retinal Neovascularization

Direct interaction with this protein · 1 of 2 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

brolucizumab
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Vascular endothelial growth factor A inhibitor

Indicated for Retinal Neovascularization

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

abicipar pegol
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Vascular endothelial growth factor A inhibitor

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

ChEMBL mechanism, action type, target identity and approved indications. Open Targets clinical status.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically, strongest evidence first. Disease associations are gene-level (via the gene that encodes this protein) and open into the full confidence synthesis; the development universe, tractability and safety annotations are target-level, from Open Targets.

Strongest disease associations · via encoding gene VEGFA

Gene-level evidence surfaced through the gene VEGFAthat encodes this protein — not a direct protein–disease relationship. Ranked by Forefront's causal-directness weighting, so genetically- and clinically-evidenced diseases lead over ones that merely share the literature.

Diabetic Retinopathy
0.87Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.68

Wet macular degeneration
0.78Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.63

Breast Neoplasms
0.78Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.62

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
0.78Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.63

Colorectal Neoplasms
0.77Well supported

Clinical evidence dominant · Open Targets 0.62

View evidence synthesis (5)
Diabetic RetinopathyWell supported
0.87
agreement 0.750.98
Clinical56%Genetic literature38%Literature6%Geneticdup

Open Targets aggregate 0.68 · 3 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

Wet macular degenerationWell supported
0.78
agreement 0.680.89
Clinical82%Literature10%Genetic8%

Open Targets aggregate 0.63 · 3 independent evidence families

Breast NeoplasmsWell supported
0.78
agreement 0.670.89
Clinical78%Literature16%Genetic6%

Open Targets aggregate 0.62 · 3 independent evidence families

Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell LungWell supported
0.78
agreement 0.620.93
Clinical83%Literature17%

Open Targets aggregate 0.63 · 2 independent evidence families

Colorectal NeoplasmsWell supported
0.77
agreement 0.640.91
Clinical83%Literature16%RNA expression1%

Open Targets aggregate 0.62 · 3 independent evidence families

The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the per-type scores above show the calculation.

Show all associations
Diabetic Retinopathy0.68
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung0.63
Wet macular degeneration0.63
Macular retinal edema0.62
Colorectal Neoplasms0.62
Breast Neoplasms0.62
Carcinoma, Renal Cell0.62
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms0.61
Diabetic macular edema0.61
Choroidal neovascularization0.61

Drug development

14 compounds recorded · 8 approved · 6 in clinical development

Open Targets' development universe — every compound recorded against the target at any stage, not all approved medicines. Distinct from the 4 drugs that target this protein in Forefront's canonical graph (3 with a mapped approved indication, shown above): these count different sets and are not a subset relation.

View all recorded compounds (10)
BEVACIZUMAB GAMMAApproval
FARICIMABApproval
PEGAPTANIB OCTASODIUMPhase 3
VANUCIZUMABPhase 2
MUPARFOSTATPhase 3
RANIBIZUMABApproval
BEVACIZUMABApproval
PEGAPTANIB SODIUMApproval
ABICIPAR PEGOLApproval
AFLIBERCEPTApproval

Open Targets known-drugs universe. Drug name and highest clinical stage only — the disease relationship is NOT read from this slice (it carries trial-context noise); approved indications come from the canonical graph above.

Tractability

Small moleculesEmerging

Feasibility evidence (structure with ligand and high-quality ligand) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

AntibodiesStrong

Approved Drug and UniProt loc high conf support this modality.

Protein degradersEmerging

Feasibility evidence (small molecule binder) — no clinical-stage drug of this modality recorded.

Other modalitiesStrong

Approved Drug support this modality.

View underlying tractability evidence (9)
SM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Med-Quality PocketAB · Approved DrugAB · UniProt loc high confAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt loc med confPR · Small Molecule BinderOC · Approved Drug

Raw Open Targets tractability assessment buckets, by modality.

Safety-related annotations

hand-foot syndromeClinPGxgastrointestinal toxicityClinPGxgrade 3 hypertensionClinPGxIncrease, Early Life Stage MortalityAOP-Wikiincrease in systolic blood pressure and grade 3 hypertensionClinPGx

Terms indexed against this target in Open Targets' safety data, with their datasource. These are annotations, not causal claims: the direction of effect (whether activation or inhibition is implicated), species and evidence strength are not captured here, so an entry does not mean that modulating this target is known to cause that condition.

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein. Ranked by active status, then clinical phase and recency, and spread across the targeting drugs.

View all trials (26)

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

What's happening now

12

Recent therapeutic activity around this target — regulatory actions, clinical trials and safety signals for 3 drugs that target this protein, plus publications where such a drug is a genuine subject. Every item is reached indirectly through the drug, not the protein itself; incidental mentions (a paper that merely measures a drug) and press items are excluded.

  1. Label change2026-08-20

    Label change: AFLIBERCEPT-JBVF (BLA761274)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via aflibercept

  2. Trial status changed2026-08-03

    A Randomized, Partially Masked, Controlled, Phase 3 Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of RGX-314 Gene Therapy in Participants With nAMD

    Status changed to Active, not recruiting · ClinicalTrials.gov · via aflibercept

  3. Supplemental approval2026-01-13

    Supplemental approval: AFLIBERCEPT-JBVF (BLA761274)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via aflibercept

  4. New publication2026-01-12
    Four-Year Outcomes of Faricimab in Diabetic Macular Edema: Results from the RHONE-X Extension Trial.

    Ophthalmology · 2026 · 1 citation · Europe PMC · via faricimab

  5. Regulatory approval2025-09-15

    Approval: Eyluxvi (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via aflibercept

  6. Regulatory approval2025-08-18

    Approval: Afiveg (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via aflibercept

  7. Product recall2024-05-15

    Recall (Class II): AFLIBERCEPT

    fda · safety · fda · via aflibercept

  8. New publication2022-01-24
    Efficacy, durability, and safety of intravitreal faricimab up to every 16 weeks for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (TENAYA and LUCERNE): two randomised, double-masked, phase 3, non-inferiority trials.

    Lancet (London, England) · 2022 · 578 citations · Europe PMC · via faricimab

  9. Safety communication2022-01-18

    Drug Safety Update: Brolucizumab (Beovu▼): risk of intraocular inflammation and retinal vascular occlusion increased with short dosing intervals

    mhra · safety · mhra · via brolucizumab

  10. New publication2017-05-01
    Effect of Bevacizumab vs Aflibercept on Visual Acuity Among Patients With Macular Edema Due to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: The SCORE2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

    JAMA · 2017 · 164 citations · Europe PMC · via aflibercept

  11. Safety communication2016-04-18

    Drug Safety Update: Aflibercept (Zaltrap▼): minimising the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw

    mhra · safety · mhra · via aflibercept

  12. New publication2014-06-01
    A single-arm, investigator-initiated study of the efficacy, safety and tolerability of intravitreal aflibercept injection in subjects with exudative age-related macular degeneration, previously treated with ranibizumab or bevacizumab: 6-month interim analysis.

    The British journal of ophthalmology · 2014 · 53 citations · Europe PMC · via aflibercept

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.

Research activity

33 papers · to 2024

Papers linked directly to this protein. This is the protein's own literature — descriptor-derived papers are kept separate below.

Most cited

Socinski MA · The New England journal of medicine · 2018

Ferrara N · Endocrine reviews · 2004

Zhang ZG · The Journal of clinical investigation · 2000

Recent

Sex, hormones and cerebrovascular function: from development to disorder.

Collignon A · Fluids and barriers of the CNS · 2024

Genome Editing VEGFA Prevents Corneal Neovascularization In Vivo.

Zeng Z · Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2024

Angiogenic signaling pathways and anti-angiogenic therapy for cancer.

Liu ZL · Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2023

Europe PMC papers linked directly to this protein.