PetCure Oncology Inc. (PetCure) and Nanovi A/S (Nanovi) announced an exclusive agreement to use PetXmark™ in the development and commercialization of fiducial guided Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) for dogs and cats. PetCure is the leading provider of SRT of pets in the US; a treatment approach delivering precisely-targeted radiation in few high-dose fractions. SRT requires precision, and the use of PetXmark™, a liquid fiducial tissue marker, invented by Nanovi, enables this treatment precision.
According to the United States’ Veterinary Cancer Society, an estimated 6 million dogs and a similar number of cats are diagnosed with cancer in the US every year. The majority of pet cancers are located in the skin or subcutaneous tissues, for which the recommended treatment is surgery followed by radiotherapy.
Under the terms of the agreement, PetCure will initially utilize PetXmark™ to enable SRT of incompletely resected malignant tumors of the skin and subcutaneous tissues in dogs and cats. PetXmark™ can be injected along the surgical incision and changes viscosity upon injection to form a marker, which is visible on later imagingi as a surrogate target to guide treatment. So far, SRT has not been an available option for pet patients with incompletely resected malignant tumors of the skin and subcutaneous tissues due to lack of appropriate treatment precision. The use of PetXmark™ opens the possibility to treat in a single fraction radiotherapy, rather than in the 19-21 fractions typically recommended following surgery.
PetCure recently completed a pilot study using PetXmark™ in canine patients. Based on the pilot study, PetCure has determined the procedure to be well tolerated with no acute side effects. The pilot study is followed by an ongoing outcome study with planned enrollment of 50-60 dogs. This study will be the first controlled, prospective clinical study in veterinary literature designed to truly define the risks and benefits of this kind of radiation therapy for incompletely resected tumors.
“Early clinical results are encouraging, and we are continuing long-term data collection and outcome analysis in an ongoing clinical trial,” said Dr. Neal Mauldin, chief medical officer of PetCure Oncology.
“PetCure Oncology is committed to advancing clinical veterinary research and we’re providing more options for cancer treatment in pets and for their families.”
Jesper Boysen, acting CEO and board member of Nanovi commented: “We are excited about our partnership with PetCure and about the potential of PetXmark™ to facilitate a new therapeutic offering to pet oncology patients. The partnership validates the opportunities in our portfolio of liquid tissue markers to enable new therapeutic approaches in the field of cancer therapy.”
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PetCure Media Contact: Jack Moore | Chief Marketing Officer | PetCure Oncology | +1 847.420.5594 | JMoore@PetCureOncology.com
Nanovi Media Contact: Hanne Leth Hillman | Chief Financial Officer | Nanovi A/S | +45 53 88 99 02| hlh@nanovi.com
About PetCure Oncology
PetCure Oncology is the national leader in radiation oncology for pets and the leading provider of stereotactic radiation (SRS/SRT) for pets in terms of both treatment centers and patients treated. With eight current locations, PetCure has treated more than 1,200 pet patients with radiation therapy since opening its first center in May of 2015. To learn more about PetCure Oncology or SRS/SRT, visit PetCureOncology.com or call (773) 850-3400.
About Nanovi
Nanovi A/S is a medical technology company specializing in the development of innovative soft tissue markers to enhance precision and raise therapeutic standards for better outcomes in radiotherapy and cancer surgery. Besides PetXmark™, Nanovi has two other product lines in development: BioXmark® is a ready-to-inject liquid tissue marker intended for use in image guided radiotherapy, and PalpMark™ is another ready-to-inject liquid tissue marker intended for use to guide surgery of small cancer lesions. The marker hardens upon injection to become palpable and has been optimized for eye visibility. Corporate offices are located in Kgs. Lyngby, north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
i Rydhög JS, Mortensen SR, Larsen KR, Clementsen P, Jølck RI, Josipovic M, Aznar M, Specht L, Andresen TL, Rosenschöld PM, Persson GF: Liquid fiducial marker performance during radiotherapy of locally advanced non small cell lung cancer, Radiotherapy and Oncology (2016); Volume 121, Issue 1, Pages 64–69.
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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eefc2aac-2eb0-4c23-8b61-d43b86ab2175