Canine cancer vaccine study
PHOENIX, Arizona (KCRG) - A five-year clinical trial for a canine cancer vaccine just wrapped up.
Calviri’s Vaccine Against Canine Cancer Study (VACCS) included more than 800 dogs.
Three veterinary colleges helped to conduct the VACCS trial, Colorado State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California, Davis.
The trial tested a preventative vaccine using what’s known about shared neoantigens, which are newly formed antigens generated by tumor cells. The VACCS vaccine consisted of 31 of the shared neoantigens, thus allowing a broad-spectrum approach instead of needing to personalize the vaccine.
Each of the participants were screened to exclude any pre-existing tumors or other serious health issues.
Dogs were randomly assigned to either receive the vaccine or a placebo. Then they were examined every six months for tumors and received a vaccine boost each year.
The President/CEO of the National Canine Cancer Foundation says it’s possible this vaccine could translate to humans.
“So our dogs who have been our best friends are going to now possibly save our lives by all these things working in dogs will then go to humans,” said Gary Nice with the National Canine Cancer Foundation.
According to the NCCF, one in three dogs will be diagnosed with cancer.
Researchers say the safety and efficacy results are encouraging, and it’s possible this vaccine could be available for dogs in late 2025.
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