28 Jul 2021
PetMedix says successful performance of first fully canine antibodies in dog trial paves the way for next-generation technology to meet therapeutic needs in fast-growing pet health market.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
PetMedix has announced its first fully canine monoclonal antibodies have been used in a canine trial for the first time and outperformed benchmarks.
A team at the research and development company discovered the antibodies, which use a unique proprietary known as the Ky9 transgenic platform, during a study.
PetMedix said it was well positioned to “lead the next generation of therapeutic antibody development in animal health, matching leading-edge human technology with unmet pet health needs”.
Tom Weaver, PetMedix chief executive, said: “This is a huge milestone for the company, one of which every single person working at the company should be proud.
“To be the first company ever to develop a fully canine therapeutic antibody – and to find out that it supports dog health and welfare not just well, but better than anything else out there – is an incredible achievement. That the team that pulled this off has only been around for 2.5 years only makes it more impressive.”
First gaining attention in the past decade, monoclonal antibodies have the potential to bring new technology to pet health problems, but successful products have been slow to come in.
PetMedix said the market should expect a second wave of innovation, with PetMedix and species-specific antibodies at the forefront.
Initial monoclonal antibody research started with a rodent antibody and tried to make it more dog or cat suitable, but PetMedix said its approach was to bring fully species-specific antibodies to the veterinary market and is the first company to use a fully canine therapeutic antibody in a dog trial.
It said that by “transforming the antibody repertoire of one species completely into that of the patient species, they are able to directly harness the natural power of the immune system”.
PetMedix completed the entire process in-house, undertaking its own platform engineering, antibody discovery and screening, data analytics, antibody expression and purification, and analysis of canine samples from the study.
The company has been going since 2019 and has more than 40 people who are capable of delivering on a number of projects, both internal and in partnership.
