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 [...]

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 |2023-04-26T14:52:37-06:00April 26th, 2023|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |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 |2022-11-17T19:36:13-06:00November 16th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

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 [...]

PODCAST: ELIAS CEO talks immunotherapy and canine osteosarcoma on Dog Cancer Answers

ELIAS Animal Health CEO, Tammie Wahaus, was a recent guest on the Dog Cancer Answers podcast to discuss how the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) works, the role of a healthy immune system in successful immunotherapy, and why we chose to focus on canine osteosarcoma first. Listen to the episode below, or read the full transcript at Dog Cancer Answers online. Listen to more episodes of the Dog Cancer Answers podcast here.  

By |2022-10-20T13:12:00-06:00June 1st, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

PODCAST: ELIAS CEO Discusses Treatment Option for Bone Cancer in Dogs on Fuzzybutts & Friends

ELIAS Animal Health CEO, Tammie Wahaus, was the featured guest on the Fuzzybutts & Friends podcast. Hosted by Luke Robinson, founder of the PuppyUp Foundation, the podcast explores how the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) works against bone cancer in dogs, as well as how ELIAS is committed to developing more immunotherapies for pets with cancer. Check out the episode below!   Learn more about the PuppyUp Foundation here. Watch more episodes of the Fuzzybutts & Friends podcast here.  

By |2022-07-17T12:48:00-06:00April 29th, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |0 Comments

ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy Gives Dogs with Osteosarcoma More Days at Home

Recent advancements in canine cancer treatment offer the potential for better outcomes, especially the advancements in immunotherapy treatments. A discussion of the ELIAS cancer immunotherapy (ECI®) for the treatment of canine osteosarcoma in Clinician's Brief pointed out that "ECI is the only 2-step immunotherapy in veterinary medicine that has the potential to match or exceed the current standard of care while reducing or eliminating the need for chemotherapy." The article, "Osteosarcoma Immunotherapy for More Days at Home," discusses the evidence-based science behind ECI, the potential benefits over chemotherapy, and how referring veterinarians play an active and vital role in the care continuum. Read the full article at Clinician's Brief online.

By |2022-03-16T17:51:21-06:00February 22nd, 2022|Categories: Blog|Tags: , , |0 Comments

Long-term bone cancer survivor and ECI® patient featured on local news

Ruby the Greyhound was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in December 2016 and began the ELIAS cancer immunotherapy (ECI®). Today, Ruby is thriving and her story was recently featured on a Kansas City local news channel. Learn more about Ruby, one of five long-term survivors from the ELIAS preliminary study. Read the story  

By |2020-11-19T20:05:29-06:00November 19th, 2020|Categories: News|Tags: , |0 Comments

ELIAS Animal Health Expands Clinical Trial of Immunotherapy Treatment for Cancer in Dogs

Ten sites now participating in trial of alternative treatment to chemotherapy for canine osteosarcoma Olathe, Kansas, Nov. 12, 2020 – ELIAS Animal Health, a clinical stage development company advancing novel treatments for cancer in companion animals, announces that 10 investigation sites across the U.S. are now participating in the pivotal trial of ELIAS cancer immunotherapy (ECI®). This marks an expansion of the study ELIAS initiated in May to pursue licensure of ECI treatment combined with surgery as an alternative to chemotherapy for dogs diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a deadly form of bone cancer. The geographical areas served by the clinical trial investigation sites include Southern California, the Intermountain Region, the Desert Southwest, the Chicago metropolitan area, North Texas, the Carolinas, and the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes Southeast Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington D.C. ELIAS will continue recruiting sites to further expand pet owner access to the trial. To learn more about participating [...]

By |2022-01-08T14:27:21-06:00November 12th, 2020|Categories: News, Press Releases|Tags: , |0 Comments

Clinical study results demonstrate long term survival in dogs with osteosarcoma treated with ELIAS cancer immunotherapy

Results of a clinical study of the ELIAS cancer immunotherapy (ECI®) protocol demonstrated that the administration of an autologous cancer cell vaccination, adoptive T cell transfer, and interleukin‐2 resulted in long‐term survival for dogs with osteosarcoma, a deadly form of bone cancer. The article, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine by researchers from the University of Missouri, describes the 14-dog single-arm prospective study and discusses the results. The objective of the study was to evaluate the hypothesis that dogs could be treated safely with the ECI protocol, which includes administration of ex vivo activated T cells, and experience survival times twice that of amputation alone. Median survival time for dogs in the study was 415 days, with one dog developing metastasis then experiencing spontaneous complete remission. Read the full study results. In May, ELIAS Animal Health announced the initiation of a follow-up study to pursue licensure of ECI [...]

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