19 February 2019
Napanee, Ontario – NovaVive Inc., an animal health immunobiology company, today announced that its anticancer immunotherapeutic for dogs will be evaluated in a clinical study at Iowa State University (ISU) College of Veterinary Medicine.
Immunocidin® has regulatory approval in the U.S.A. and Canada for the treatment of canine mammary tumors (breast cancer). The study at ISU is assessing the efficacy of Immunocidin in combination with doxorubicin chemotherapy (vs. doxorubicin alone) in dogs with confirmed stage I or stage II splenic hemangiosarcoma that have undergone splenectomy (spleen removal). A total of 66 dogs will be recruited for the study, 33 into each treatment arm. The difference in overall survival times will be evaluated.
Primary investigators for this study are Margaret Musser, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), Giovanna Coto, DVM, and Chad Johannes, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM, Oncology), all at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, ISU.
Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) can arise from any tissue where there are blood vessels, which is essentially anywhere in the body. This cancer frequently appears in the skin, heart, spleen or liver with the most common site being the spleen. HSA can spread to the brain, but usually goes first to the lungs. Additional organs that can be involved include the kidneys, adrenal glands, lymph nodes, mesentery, skeletal muscle, and bone.
The splenic form of HSA is a very aggressive type of cancer, and even when the primary tumor is removed via splenectomy and there is no evidence of spread at the time of surgery, most dogs will go on to develop metastases within just a few short weeks to months. This highly metastatic cancer is often rapidly fatal in dogs. At present, conventional chemotherapy provides only a modest survival benefit after surgery.
“Treatment options and survival outcomes for canine HSA have remained essentially stagnant for the past two decades,” said Dr. Johannes. “Additional therapeutic options for HSA are needed and we look forward to learning more about how immune stimulation via Immunocidin may play a role in improving outcomes for dogs.”
A total of 10 oncology clinics will participate in the study, and it is expected that candidate dogs will be referred from local or regional centres across the U.S.A. To find a participating clinic, please visit: https://ebusiness.avma.org/aahsd/study_search.aspx and enter AAHSD004874 in the keywords search.
About ISU College of Veterinary Medicine
As the nation’s first public veterinary school, Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine takes pride in its heritage while shaping the future of veterinary professional practice, education, research and service.
Fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the College of Veterinary Medicine is dedicated to the enhancement of health and well-being of animals and human beings. In order to carry out its mission, the college focuses on students within the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program and various graduate programs in each of its five academic departments – Biomedical Sciences, Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, and Veterinary Pathology.
About NovaVive Inc.
NovaVive is a private company founded in July, 2014. The Company has an advanced veterinary immunotherapeutic platform based on mycobacterium cell wall fraction (MCWF) technology with 5 regulator-approved products in the U.S.A. Certain formulations have demonstrated the capability of reducing the reliance on antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial diseases of horses and cattle or effectively treating viral equine respiratory disease. Other formulations have been developed as anticancer therapies in dogs and horses. The Company’s development plan is to identify additional livestock and companion animal diseases that may be effectively treated with its immunotherapeutic technology platform. For more information about the Company, please visit www.NovaVive.ca.
For further information, please contact:
Chad Johannes, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM, Oncology)
Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Lloyd Veterinary Medicine Center
cmj15@iastate.edu
Phone: 515-294-4900
or
Jennifer Shea
Vice-President, Investor Relations & Business Development
NovaVive Inc.
Jennifer.Shea@NovaVive.ca
Phone: 613-391-2097