Blog Archives - ELIAS Animal Health

Philip J. Bergman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology) Joins ELIAS Animal Health Scientific Advisory Board

LENEXA, Kan., April 10, 2025 -- ELIAS Animal Health, a leading innovator in cancer immunotherapies for veterinary medicine, today announced that Dr. Philip J. Bergman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), has joined its Scientific Advisory Board. Philip J. Bergman, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology) Dr. Bergman brings extensive experience in veterinary oncology, immunotherapy, and translational medicine, with a distinguished career in clinical research and cancer treatment advancements. He has played a pivotal role in pioneering novel cancer therapies for companion animals, including ONCEPT® (a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health) which is a fully licensed canine melanoma vaccine, and contributing to the development and evaluation of cutting-edge treatment modalities in his previous role as Global Director of Clinical Studies for Mars Veterinary Health and VCA. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and has served as Chair of the American College of Veterinary Internal [...]

By jwiley|2025-04-09T18:32:12-06:00April 10th, 2025|Categories: Blog, Press Releases|0 Comments

ELIAS Animal Health Receives Full Approval from USDA for the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®), First-In-Class Treatment for Canine Osteosarcoma

LENEXA, Kan., Mar. 19, 2025 -- ELIAS Animal Health, a leading companion animal cancer therapeutics company, today announced its adoptive cell therapy, ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®), has received full approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB). Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two and represents a significant unmet medical need in veterinary medicine, with an estimated 6 million dogs diagnosed with cancer each year. ECI®, the first autologous prescription product to receive USDA-CVB approval, is indicated for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma, a deadly form of bone cancer. Large and giant breed dogs, such as Golden Retrievers, Boxers, Greyhounds, Labradors and German Shepherds, are at higher risk of developing this cancer. ECI® works by first conditioning the immune system to recognize a patient’s unique cancer and then delivering an army of activated killer T cells to target [...]

By Tammie Wahaus, CEO & Founder|2025-03-18T19:39:01-06:00March 19th, 2025|Categories: Blog, News, Press Releases|Tags: cancer immunotherapy, canine cancer, canine osteosarcoma, ECI|0 Comments

PODCAST: ELIAS returns to Dog Cancer Answers to Talk About Alternatives to Chemotherapy

ELIAS Animal Health CEO, Tammie Wahaus, returns to the Dog Cancer Answers podcast to talk about ECI® as an alternative treatment to chemotherapy for canine osteosarcoma. Earlier this year the USDA determined that ECI® has demonstrated a reasonable expectation of efficacy, a major milestone in the product licensure pathway. Listen to the episode below to find out what's next for ECI®, or read the full transcript at Dog Cancer Answers online. Listen to more episodes of the Dog Cancer Answers podcast here.

By jwiley|2024-05-14T12:42:13-06:00April 1st, 2024|Categories: Blog|Tags: canine osteosarcoma, chemotherapy, ECI|0 Comments

New Clinical Trial Will Evaluate Combination Therapy to Treat Canine Lymphoma

After successfully concluding a clinical trial for canine osteosarcoma, ELIAS Animal Health is focused on continuing to push forward in the fight against cancer with a new clinical trial involving combination therapy to treat lymphoma in dogs. The pilot study, which is currently underway, will evaluate ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) in combination with VCAA (L- asparaginase, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin) chemotherapy to treat lymphoma in dogs. All trial participants will be treated at a single investigator site for this preliminary study. Prevalence of Lymphoma in Dogs Canine lymphoma is a fairly common type of cancer in dogs. In an article published by VCA Animal Hospitals, authors Malcolm Weir, DVM, MSc, MPH and Catherine Barnette, DVM the disease accounts “for 15-20% of new cancer diagnoses in dogs. It is most common in middle-aged and older dogs, and several breeds are predisposed...” Overview of the Clinical Trial Protocol for Canine Lymphoma Patients [...]

By Tammie Wahaus, CEO & Founder|2023-11-02T13:40:15-06:00November 2nd, 2023|Categories: Blog, News|Tags: cancer immunotherapy, canine cancer, clinical trial, lymphoma|0 Comments

Pet Cancer Awareness Month and the One Health Connection

Pets bring us immense joy and companionship, making them cherished members of our families. However, just like humans, they too can be affected by cancer. Pet Cancer Awareness Month, observed throughout November, is a reminder of the importance of early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer in our animal companions. Fittingly, it coincides with One Health Day on November 3, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human and animal health, and the environment we share. Cancer Can Happen to Pets Too Cancer is a complex and devastating disease that can affect any breed, age, or species of pet. Just like in humans, pet cancer occurs when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, forming tumors that can spread to other parts of the body. The most common types of cancer found in dogs include lymphoma, mast cell tumors, and osteosarcoma (bone cancer), while cats are often prone to lymphoma, mammary cancer, and oral cancers. [...]

By jwiley|2023-10-31T12:32:43-06:00October 31st, 2023|Categories: Blog|Tags: cancer immunotherapy, immunotherapy, one health, translational medicine|0 Comments

Oncolytic Virotherapy in Veterinary Medicine

ELIAS Animal Health previously announced it has in-licensed an oncolytic vaccinia virus treatment for pet animals from Genelux Corporation. The agreement grants ELIAS the worldwide right to development and commercialization of V-VET1 for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer in veterinary medicine. Check out some of the most frequently asked questions about this agreement and what we plan to do with the technology. What is V-VET1? V-VET1 is Genelux Corporation’s clinical-stage animal health product candidate. It is a vaccinia viral strain that selectively replicates in cancer cells to ultimately cause cell death (apoptosis). Who is Genelux Corporation? Genelux is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing a pipeline of next-generation oncolytic immunotherapies for human patients suffering from aggressive and/or difficult-to-treat solid tumor types. Learn more about Genelux and their technology at www.genelux.com. What is an oncolytic virus? An oncolytic virus is a virus that can infect and kill cancer [...]

By jwiley|2023-10-13T13:18:07-06:00October 13th, 2023|Categories: Blog|Tags: clinical trial, oncolytic virus, translational medicine|0 Comments

How Long-Term Patient Registries Support Better Cancer Care

Our mission at ELIAS Animal Health is to improve cancer treatment outcomes in veterinary patients through the advancement of innovative therapies. To do that, it is imperative to understand the long-term outcomes of dogs who undergo the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®). Following our randomized controlled trial (RCT) for canine osteosarcoma, we recently launched a long-term patient registry which will collect both long-term survival and quality of life data on dogs who participated in our clinical trials or received ECI outside of clinical trials. What Are Long-Term Patient Registries? Long-term patient registries allow us to observe real-world ongoing outcomes after clinical trials have concluded. ELIAS’ patient registry will provide insight into the quality-of-life dogs experience post-treatment, help us understand the long-term impact of ECI, and deliver data points that may (or may not) impact our understanding of the patient’s outcome. It will also inform our future product development. Specifically, the registry [...]

By jwiley|2023-04-26T14:52:37-06:00April 26th, 2023|Categories: Blog|Tags: canine osteosarcoma, clinical trial, patient registry|0 Comments

One Health: Leveraging the Intersection of Health Across Our World

January is One Health Awareness Month, which recognizes and promotes the "interconnectedness of the health of people, animals, and the environment." (Forbes.) ELIAS Animal Health was founded to apply the progress that has been made in fighting human cancers in the veterinary space, and then share the findings with our human health counterparts. We follow a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach, aligned with the One Health philosophy about the connections and correlations between the health of people, animals, and the environment. Human and canine cancers share similarities, so research on either side can impact and support the other: TVAX Biomedical is launching a glioblastoma study in the near future. ELIAS’ origins came from the early work and research conducted by TVAX. TVAX and Genelux Corporation, a clinical stage immunotherapy company focused on developing oncolytic virus therapies for humans, have formed a joint venture known as V2ACT Therapeutics™, LLC that will focus on [...]

By Tammie Wahaus, CEO & Founder|2023-01-24T12:56:03-06:00January 10th, 2023|Categories: Blog|Tags: cancer, clinical trial, one health|0 Comments

Why We Use Cytotoxic T Cells to Attack Cancer

Artist interpretation: Cytotoxic T cells (blue) attack a cancer cell (orange). The immune system hosts an army of white blood cells dedicated to helping the body fight infections. One faction of this army includes T cells, a type of white blood cell that develops from stem cells in bone marrow. There are three main types of T cells that each play a different role in the highly-coordinated defense of the body against illness: Regulatory T cells modulate the immune response and prevent other immune cells from becoming overactive. Helper T cells help activate other immune cells once they detect evidence of a foreign invader, such as a virus or cancer. Killer, or cytotoxic, T cells directly attack and destroy cells they recognize as being foreign. Over the past few decades, advancements in immunotherapy have come a long way, and it is now an important part of treating some [...]

By jwiley|2022-12-19T14:09:07-06:00December 19th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: adoptive cell therapy, canine cancer, cytoxic t cell, ECI, immunotherapy, killer t cell|0 Comments

ECI®: What to Expect During the T Cell Infusion

The ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) is an alternative treatment option to chemotherapy for certain types of canine cancer. ECI is a two-step sequential and interdependent protocol. Step 1 involves priming the patient’s immune system with a personalized vaccine that stimulates an immune response. Step 2 is the activation, expansion and reinfusion of the patient’s cancer antigen-specific T cells which can travel to and attack the cancer cells in the dog’s body. We’re often asked if patients can receive only the vaccines, without T cell infusion. Both steps are essential and play different roles in treatment. Stimulating the immune system isn’t enough to eliminate cancer. The vaccine step primes the immune system to create T cells that can specifically recognize the cancer cells. In the second step of the treatment protocol, these T cells are collected from the blood, and then functionally activated and numerically expanded in the laboratory. Once [...]

By jwiley|2022-11-17T19:36:13-06:00November 16th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: cancer immunotherapy, canine osteosarcoma, ECI, immunotherapy, t cells|0 Comments