Immunotherapy
for canine cancer.
Intro
In partnership with Ardent Animal Health, we are developing a dual-action immunotherapy for canine osteosarcoma.
Osteosarcoma accounts for 85% of bone tumors in dogs and carries a median survival time of less than one year with standard treatment.
By applying validated human cancer science, our dual-action immunotherapy is designed to improve outcomes for one of the most common and lethal cancers in dogs.
Program
Indication: Canine osteosarcoma
Mechanism of action: A dual-action immunotherapy combining an autologous vaccine (K9-ACV) with a novel checkpoint inhibitor (CD200AR-L) to stimulate a robust anti-tumor immune response
Origin: The novel checkpoint inhibitor (CD200AR-L) is based on research from the University of Minnesota, with companion animal rights licensed to Unleash Therapeutics, LLC (via OX2 Therapeutics).
Partner: Ardent Animal Health - the dual-action immunotherapy combines our novel checkpoint inhibitor with Ardent’s existing autologous cancer vaccine (K9-ACV), and will be commercialized under the Ardent Animal Health brand.
Status: Clinical - we are conducting a multi-center randomized field efficacy study, sponsored by researchers at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. Recruitment is now complete.
About
Unleash Therapeutics, LLC is a single-asset company focused exclusively on bringing this immunotherapy to dogs with osteosarcoma.
The company was founded in 2021 by Dr. Elizabeth Iorns and Dan Knox. Elizabeth is a cancer biologist whose French Bulldog, Lily, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor in 2020. Her experience with Lily's treatment highlighted the gap between human and veterinary oncology — and became the catalyst for Unleash Therapeutics, LLC.
Elizabeth and Dan are also the co-founders of Familiar, an animal health therapeutics company building a broad pipeline of modern medicines for companion animals. They are longtime collaborators who previously co-founded Science Exchange (YC S11), a global R&D marketplace, and who invest together through a shared angel fund across technology and life sciences.
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