The concepts of allosteric modulation and biased agonism are revolutionizing modern approaches to drug discovery, particularly in the field of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Both phenomena exploit topographically distinct binding sites to promote unique GPCR conformations that can lead to different patterns of cellular responsiveness. The adenosine A 1 GPCR (A 1 AR) is a major therapeutic target for cardioprotection, but current agents acting on the receptor are clinically limited for this indication because of ontarget bradycardia as a serious adverse effect. In the current study, we have rationally designed a novel A 1 AR ligand (VCP746)-a hybrid molecule comprising adenosine linked to a positive allosteric modulator-specifically to engender biased signaling at the A 1 AR. We validate that the interaction of VCP746 with the A 1 AR is consistent with a bitopic mode of receptor engagement (i.e., concomitant association with orthosteric and allosteric sites) and that the compound displays biased agonism relative to prototypical A 1 AR ligands. Importantly, we also show that the unique pharmacology of VCP746 is (patho)physiologically relevant, because the compound protects against ischemic insult in native A 1 AR-expressing cardiomyoblasts and cardiomyocytes but does not affect rat atrial heart rate. Thus, this study provides proof of concept that bitopic ligands can be designed as biased agonists to promote on-target efficacy without on-target side effects.