Press Releases Archives - ELIAS Animal Health

ELIAS Animal Health to Present New Research at Upcoming Human and Veterinary Oncology Conferences

LENEXA, Kan., September 4, 2025 -- ELIAS Animal Health, a leader in advancing innovative therapies for veterinary oncology, today announced that it will present promising new research on its novel chemo-immunotherapy approach for canine osteosarcoma at two upcoming scientific meetings in September 2025. 18th American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities, being held September 18–21, 2025, in Baltimore, Md. The presentation will highlight the safety and efficacy of integrating traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy with a vaccine-enhanced adoptive cell therapy in canine osteosarcoma, a well-known translational model for pediatric osteosarcoma in humans. 2025 Veterinary Cancer Society Annual Conference, being held September 25–27, 2025, in Salt Lake City, Utah. The company’s findings will be shared in an oral presentation at the Research Spotlight Symposium on September 26, 2025. The presentation will focus on the clinical experience using this combination therapeutic strategy with its USDA-approved cancer immunotherapy [...]

jwiley2025-09-04T06:25:17-06:00September 4th, 2025|

New Study Data on Chemo-Immunotherapy Approach Using the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) to Treat Bone Cancer in Dogs Demonstrates Improved Outcomes

LENEXA, Kan., June 19, 2025 – ELIAS Animal Health, a leading companion animal cancer therapeutics company, today announced interim results from an ongoing clinical study evaluating ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®), a USDA-approved autologous prescription product, combined with chemotherapy for treatment of osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer in dogs. The interim analysis, presented at the 2025 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) Forum in Louisville, KY, demonstrated that combining the initial cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy with the targeted immune-mediated response stimulated by ECI® has the potential to enhance overall response and survival rates in canine cancer patients. The oral abstract presentation, “Adoptive Cell Therapy with Chemotherapy Improves Canine Osteosarcoma Outcomes Compared to Standard of Care Chemotherapy,” was presented by Jeffrey N Bryan, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM(O), Professor of Oncology and Associate Director of the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center at the University of Missouri. The combined therapeutic approach showed [...]

jwiley2025-06-19T12:22:31-06:00June 19th, 2025|

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 [...]

jwiley2025-05-23T13:05:23-06:00April 10th, 2025|

ELIAS Animal Health Receives 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 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 and [...]

Tammie Wahaus, CEO & Founder2025-05-23T12:58:33-06:00March 19th, 2025|

ELIAS Animal Health Conducting Limb-Sparing Canine Osteosarcoma Clinical Study with Grant from Morris Animal Foundation

LENEXA, Kan., July 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ELIAS Animal Health, a clinical stage development company advancing novel treatments for cancer in companion animals, has initiated a new study evaluating the company’s adoptive T cell therapy—the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®)—in combination with a novel adjuvant as a limb-sparing treatment for large-breed dogs suffering from appendicular osteosarcoma. The study, which is funded by a grant from Morris Animal Foundation, will be conducted in collaboration with Dr. Jeffrey Bryan and Dr. Megan Mickelson at the University of Missouri. “For dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma, amputation of the affected limb followed by chemotherapy is the typical standard of care. However, in certain cases amputation may not be appropriate,” said ELIAS Chief Medical Officer Noe Reyes, DVM. “In this study, we’re evaluating a new approach where the dog is treated with the limb-sparing surgery followed by ECI® immunotherapy.” The study will assess the safety and efficacy [...]

jwiley2024-07-31T07:12:52-06:00July 31st, 2024|

ELIAS Animal Health Expands Manufacturing Capacity Ahead of Product Approval and Pipeline Expansion

OLATHE, Kan., April 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ELIAS Animal Health, a leading companion animal cancer therapeutics company, is expanding its manufacturing capacity in a larger facility located in Lenexa, Kansas as it prepares for the commercial product launch of the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) later this year. In January 2024, ECI® was determined by the USDA as demonstrating a reasonable expectation of efficacy, a significant milestone in the pathway to product licensure, and a significant milestone in veterinary oncology. ECI® is poised to be the only adoptive cell therapy of its kind approved for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma, a deadly form of bone cancer in dogs. Osteosarcoma is one of the top five cancers in dogs and yet little innovation has been achieved in treating this disease. The historical standard of care for treating canine osteosarcoma has been off-label chemotherapy. With ECI®’s pioneer position as a therapy specifically indicated [...]

jwiley2025-05-23T13:03:15-06:00April 30th, 2024|

ELIAS Animal Health Appoints Chief Revenue Officer; Launches Fundraising Round to Support Commercialization and Development of Innovative Canine Cancer Therapies

Experienced executive will lead launch of the first USDA-approved immunotherapy for the treatment of bone cancer in dogs OLATHE, Kan., April 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ELIAS Animal Health, a leading companion animal cancer therapeutics company, today announced the appointment of Brian Segebrecht as Chief Revenue Officer in anticipation of the impending product approval of the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) in Q4. Segebrecht joins the ELIAS leadership team after recently leading Sentrx Animal Care as CEO to a point of exit in 2023. At ELIAS, he will lead the commercialization of the company’s first-in-class adoptive cell therapy, as well as drive new business partnerships for the expanding product pipeline at ELIAS. “Brian’s track record of transforming commercial strategy and building value for shareholders make him the perfect fit as we move closer to the regulatory approval of ECI® in Q4 of 2024,” said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health. “His leadership [...]

jwiley2024-07-17T12:35:48-06:00April 10th, 2024|

USDA Agrees Clinical Trial Data for the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) Demonstrates Reasonable Expectation of Efficacy for the Treatment of Bone Cancer in Dogs

First-in-class adoptive cell therapy for treatment of osteosarcoma, a deadly form of bone cancer in dogs OLATHE, Kan., Jan. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ELIAS Animal Health, a leading companion animal cancer therapeutics company, today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics has determined that the data from the company’s ECI-OSA-04 pivotal combined safety and efficacy study demonstrated a reasonable expectation of efficacy, a critical milestone in the licensure pathway. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs over the age of two and represents a significant unmet medical need in veterinary medicine. This two-arm field safety and efficacy study (n=100) is one of the largest clinical trials conducted in canine cancer and the first of its kind to evaluate a state-of-the-art adoptive cell therapy as a treatment for cancer in dogs. The ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) works by conditioning the immune system to recognize a patient’s [...]

jwiley2024-02-27T19:07:55-06:00January 17th, 2024|

ELIAS Animal Health Research Demonstrates Cancer-Killing Capabilities of Its Activated T Cell Immunotherapy

In vitro study of the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) showed personalized T cell immunotherapy initiated a significant immune response against target cancer cells. OLATHE, Kan., August 10, 2022 -- ELIAS Animal Health recently presented new mechanism of action data for the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) at the 2022 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum. ECI is an adoptive cell therapy that stimulates a patient’s immune system to recognize and attack cancers. ECI uses a personalized vaccine made from a patient’s own cancer cells to “prime” the immune cells to recognize the cancer. These primed immune cells—which are collected from the patient through a procedure called apheresis—are activated and expanded ex vivo for reinfusion into the patient, where they travel to the cancer cells and attack them. In vitro study demonstrates how vaccine-primed T cells mount an immune response against cancer cells [...]

jwiley2022-12-12T13:42:11-06:00August 10th, 2022|

ELIAS Animal Health Launches Clinical Trial Of Cancer Immunotherapy Treatment For Canine Oral Melanoma

Olathe, Kan., August 31, 2021 – ELIAS Animal Health, a clinical stage development company advancing novel treatments for cancer in companion animals, today announced the initiation of a pilot study of its adoptive T cell therapy combined with surgery and radiotherapy, if indicated, for dogs diagnosed with oral malignant melanoma, a highly metastatic disease and the most common form of oral cancer seen in dogs. Melanoma is widely believed to be chemo-resistant and in this study the adoptive T cell therapy will be administered instead of chemotherapy. This clinical trial will enroll dogs that have been newly diagnosed with oral melanoma but have not yet been treated for their cancer. It is a multi-center, single-arm study with no randomization. ELIAS is providing financial assistance that will substantially cover costs of participation and treatment in the trial. A list of participating sites can be found on the website. Adoptive T cell therapy is [...]

jwiley2022-01-08T14:27:30-06:00August 31st, 2021|