VetDC Announces Positive Results From TANOVEA Study In Dogs With Lymphoma

FORT COLLINS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VetDC, Inc., a veterinary cancer therapeutics company, today announced the successful conclusion of a new field study of Tanovea^TM (rabacfosadine), a novel small molecule therapy being developed as a treatment for lymphoma in dogs. This study evaluated the use of alternating Tanovea in combination with doxorubicin (a commonly used generic chemotherapy agent) every three weeks in 54 dogs with naïve multi-centric lymphoma, and found that this combination delivered an 81% response rate, with durations superior to doxorubicin alone, and comparable to that of multi-agent chemotherapy regimens. The Tanovea/doxorubicin combination was found to be generally safe and well tolerated in this study, with gastrointestinal and hematologic adverse effects being the most common events reported.

“We are encouraged by the results seen in this study, and we are working closely with the veterinary oncology community and regulatory authorities to introduce this important new advancement for the benefit of dogs with lymphoma”

While lymphoma is widely considered one of the most common cancers seen in dogs and cats, there are no FDA-approved lymphoma treatments in the United States. The current standard of care for lymphoma treatment is a multi-drug chemotherapy regimen (referred to as CHOP), which typically requires 12-16 visits. As reported in this study, the Tanovea/doxorubicin combination yielded a response rate and duration comparable to that of published CHOP results with only six visits, representing a significant improvement in convenience for pet owners.

The multi-center field study was conducted at eight veterinary clinics across the United States. Dogs with confirmed and immunophenotyped lymphoma were treated with alternating doses of Tanovea and doxorubicin for up to six total doses. Complete clinicopathological assessment and clinical assessment of remission and adverse events were performed according to Veterinary Cooperative Oncology Group criteria.

In addition to an 81% overall response rate, the overall median progression free interval (PFI) was 200 days. When compared with historical data, the observed PFI appears superior to that reported with single-agent doxorubicin (81–169 days) and comparable to that reported with standard 15–25 week CHOP protocols (140–219 days).

“We are encouraged by the results seen in this study, and we are working closely with the veterinary oncology community and regulatory authorities to introduce this important new advancement for the benefit of dogs with lymphoma,” stated Steven Roy, CEO of VetDC. Tanovea is currently under regulatory review with the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine and is not yet approved for commercial sale.

Douglas Thamm, VMD, DACVIM (Oncology) from Colorado State University’s Flint Animal Cancer Center will present the Tanovea study results at a Late-Breaking Research Report Session at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum from 8:25AM - 8:50AM MDT on June 11 at the Colorado Convention Center, Mile High Ballroom 1B.

About VetDC, Inc.

VetDC (www.vetdc.com) is changing the way new cancer medicines are developed for companion animals, leveraging novel advancements from human biotechnology that have already demonstrated success in animal studies.