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Novel, targeted canine cancer therapy receives US patent

Posted on August 24, 2024 | 2 comments

FidoCure, the flagship brand of the One Health Company, has been granted a patent for a novel targeted therapy and biomarker for canine cancer by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The patent covers a new approach to treatment, using mutation profiling to better manage bladder cancer in dogs.¹

The now-patented approach, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), considers real-world evidence from veterinary clinical data and uses it to determine the ideal methodology for therapeutic treatment. Early data reports suggest the new approach may be more efficacious compared to conventional treatment methods.¹

“This patent acknowledges the uniqueness of our approach, which has consistently demonstrated that it can transform outcomes for pet dogs with cancer while improving the quality of life for the patients,” Christina Lopes, cofounder and CEO of the One Health Company and FidoCure, said in a news release.1 “Receiving a patent is an important milestone in our mission to increase access to lifesaving treatments for pet dogs with cancer.”

Each year, 6 million dogs in the US are affected by cancer, and many of them by bladder cancer.¹ Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the tumor that affects the bladder, and Atlantic Veterinary Internal Medicine and Oncology (AVIMO) approximates that TCC is diagnosed in 80,000 dogs each year.² Biologically speaking, canine cancer is relatively similar to human cancer, but, according to FidoCure, treatment and care for canine cancer is about 20 years behind humans.¹

“Bladder cancer [treatment] in dogs is an unmet need,” Gerald Post, DVM, MEM, CACVIM, chief medical officer of One Health, said in a news release.¹ “Traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy are often ineffective, cause toxic side effects, and are expensive.”

The patent, No. 12036281-B2, protects FidoCure’s technology for 20 years following its priority date.1 Lopes, alongside her FidoCure cofounder Benjamin Lewis and other key team members, are named as inventors on the patent. The company currently has an additional 8 pending patents, covering novel therapeutics and biomarkers, and will be seeking approval from the FDA for their products in the near future, according to the release.¹

FidoCure came together with the goal to improve outcomes for canine cancer patients. More specifically, the founders wanted to put an end to blanket chemotherapy and radiation treatments, regardless of cancer type, citing the use of target therapies in human oncology. They’ve since partnered with a board of medical and veterinary advisors with multidisciplinary knowledge, spanning the fields of human and canine oncology.³

Among the company’s achievements is the FidoCure Next Generation Sequencing Test, through which the results allow care providers to better customize treatment options using targeted therapies. In early 2022, FidoCure partnered with IDEXX, a company focused on global pet healthcare innovation, to provide access to the test to its’ veterinary clients throughout the US and Canada.⁴

References

FidoCure Receives Patent for AI-Driven Drug Development, Accelerating a Novel Portfolio of Precision Therapeutic for Cancer. News release. FidoCure. August 13, 2024. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240813574729/en/FidoCure-Receives-Patent-for-AI-Driven-Drug-Development-Accelerating-a-Novel-Portfolio-of-Precision-Therapeutic-for-Cancer
Understanding Bladder Cancer in Dogs. American Veterinary Internal Medicine and Oncology. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://avim.us/bladder-cancer-in-dogs/
FidoCure. AI Driven Precision Medicine Platform for Canine Cancer. One Health Company. Accessed August 15, 2024. https://fidocure.com/
One Health Company partners with IDEXX to enhance canine cancer care. dvm360. January 20, 2022. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://www.dvm360.com/view/one-health-company-partners-with-idexx-to-enhance-canine-cancer-care

Source: MJH Life Sciences, DVM 360

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Posted in dog care, Dogs

Tagged AI, artificial intelligence, bladder cancer, FidoCure, novel therapeutics, patent

AI could help diagnose dogs suffering from chronic pain

Posted on November 15, 2019 | Leave a comment

A new artificial intelligence (AI) technique developed by the University of Surrey could eventually help veterinarians quickly identify Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) dogs with a chronic disease that causes crippling pain. The same technique identified unique biomarkers which inspired further research into the facial changes in dogs affected by Chiari-like malformation (CM).

Photo by Getty Images

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are predisposed to CM – a disease which causes deformity of the skull, the neck (cranial cervical vertebrae) and, in some extreme cases, lead to spinal cord damage called syringomyelia (SM). While SM is straightforward to diagnose, pain associated with CM is challenging to confirm and why this research is innovative.

In a paper published by the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, researchers from Surrey’s Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) and School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM) detail how they used a completely automated, image mapping method to discover patterns in MRI data that could help vets identify dogs that suffer from CM associated pain. The research helped identify features that characterise the differences in the MRI images of dogs with clinical signs of pain associated with CM and those with syringomyelia from healthy dogs. The AI identified the floor of the third ventricle and its close neural tissue, and the region in the sphenoid bone as biomarkers for pain associated with CM and the presphenoid bone and the region between the soft palate and the tongue for SM.

Dr Michaela Spiteri, lead author of the study from CVSSP, said: “The success of our technique suggests machine learning can be developed as a diagnostic tool to help treat Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s that are suffering from this enigmatic and terrible disease. We believe that AI can be a useful tool for veterinarians caring for our four-legged family members.”

Identification of these biomarkers inspired a further study, also published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, which found that dogs with pain associated with CM had more brachycephalic features (having a relatively broad, short skull) with reduction of nasal tissue and a well-defined stop.

SVM student, Eleonore Dumas, whose 3rd year project formed part of the study data, said: “Being able to contribute to the development of diagnostic tools that allow for earlier diagnosis of patients suffering from this painful condition has been both challenging and incredibly rewarding.”

Dr Penny Knowler, lead author of the study from SVM, said: “This study suggests that the whole skull, rather than just the hindbrain, should be analysed in diagnostic tests. It also impacts on how we should interpret MRI from affected dogs and the choices we make when we breed predisposed dogs and develop breeding recommendations.”

Adrian Hilton, Distinguished Professor from the University of Surrey and Director of CVSSP, said: “This project demonstrates the potential for AI using machine learning to provide new diagnostic tools for animal health. Collaboration between experts in CVSSP and Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine is pioneering new approaches to improve animal health and welfare.”

…

Both studies were funded by the Memory of Hannah Hasty Research Fund. Hannah was a CKCS unaffected by CM/ SM and a much beloved companion, giving her owner much support and joy. The AI study was also supported by the Pet Plan Charitable Trust.

The findings of the studies are available to read on the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine website here and here.