ECI 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|

Immunotherapy Combined with a Single Dose of Chemotherapy Shows Improved Outcomes in Dogs with Bone Cancer

Recently, ELIAS Animal Health announced new data on a chemo-immunotherapy approach using the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®) to treat canine osteosarcoma that demonstrated improved outcomes. The analysis showed 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. In the study, 14 dogs received one dose of carboplatin followed by ECI® initiated 21 days later. This treatment group showed the best response, with a 1-year survival rate of 71% compared to 21% in 14 matched control dogs that received four doses of carboplatin only. See the data>> An updated in-depth analysis of this combination approach with additional data will be presented at the 2025 Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS) Annual Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jeffrey N Bryan, DVM, MS, PhD, DACVIM(O), who presented the first analysis at the 2025 [...]

jwiley2025-07-29T12:50:53-06:00July 24th, 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|

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 Announces Apheresis Partnership with CTAC, Expanding Access to Cancer Immunotherapy in Southeast U.S.

LENEXA, Kan., Feb. 13, 2025 -- In alignment with our commitment to expand access to innovative veterinary cancer care across the country, ELIAS Animal Health is excited to announce that the Canine Transplant and Apheresis Center (CTAC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee is now providing apheresis services to veterinary patients undergoing the ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI®). CTAC is located inside the Pullen Cancer Center at VCSG. ECI® is an adoptive cell therapy that harnesses the dog’s own immune system to identify and attack cancer cells. Apheresis is a critical step in the ECI® treatment protocol, which is a one-time procedure used to collect primed immune cells for activation and expansion. This new partnership enables broader access for veterinarians and pet owners interested in pursuing ECI® to treat cancer in dogs in the southeast region of the United States. Questions about treatment and patient referrals should be directed to ELIAS Animal Health. The decision [...]

jwiley2025-02-13T15:26:35-06:00February 13th, 2025|

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.

jwiley2024-05-14T12:42:13-06:00April 1st, 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|

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 [...]

jwiley2022-12-19T14:09:07-06:00December 19th, 2022|

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 [...]

jwiley2022-11-17T19:36:13-06:00November 16th, 2022|

Canine Cancer Resources For Pet Owners

When pets are diagnosed with cancer, pet owners can sometimes feel lost about where to find help and information about their options. The best place to start is the family veterinarian. He or she can answer questions and help families navigate a difficult diagnosis. The family vet can help make referrals to veterinary oncologists, and even provide information about the treatment options available for their pet. Learn About Canine Cancer ELIAS Animal Health is committed to developing better treatment options for animal cancer for pets and their families. To support veterinarians and their clients in the quest for information, we've put together some content that speaks plainly and clearly to dog owners and their care teams. We hope these articles and podcasts serve as a resource for you and your clients. The Connection Between Canine and Human Cancer touches on the cross-collaboration between human and canine cancer researchers and how [...]

jwiley2022-10-24T19:39:28-06:00October 24th, 2022|