Delivering the news to a grieving pet owner that their dog’s cancer is likely not curable—even with the most aggressive treatment possible—is one of the hardest tasks for veterinarians.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs, accounting for approximately 30% of all deaths. Certain breeds, especially larger breed dogs, have much higher likelihoods of cancer than others.
We believe the key to treating our four-legged friends lies in Orbis’ proven vaccine technology.
In an effort to change this grim prognosis, our scientists are developing an autologous, or personalized, cancer vaccine for companion animals. In an autologous vaccine, some of the dog’s own tumor cells are extracted and treated to stimulate an immune reaction.
This type of immunotherapy is different from traditional cancer therapies which target the tumors with radiation or chemotherapy, which attacks the dog’s cancer while also damaging their immune system.
A major benefit of immunotherapy is that it is specific — targeting only cancer cells and not affecting normal healthy cells. Multiple tumor antigens from the dog’s specific tumor are used in the vaccine so the immune response should be very strong and specific.
Our first target indication is osteosarcoma in dogs – a devastating cancer for large breed dogs for which there are limited available treatments after the amputation of a limb.
The Orbis team is currently working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Center for Veterinary Biologics to initiate clinical development in canines.
