BNC Targets Sick Dogs Bioniche Life Sciences targets sick dogs in North America
Thursday, October 18, 2012 by John Phillips
Canadian biopharmaceutical company (ASX: BNC, TSX: BNC) is launching its canine oncology therapy product known as ImmunocidinTM in North America this week.
A plus for the product is that it does not require special handling and can be used by veterinarians in their own clinics, either alone or in combination with other therapies - providing significant sales and revenue generating opportunities.
ImmunocidinTM is based on the company’s proprietary mycobacterial cell wall technology, the same platform from which its Phase III product for human bladder cancer (UrocidinTM) was derived.
Canine cancer is the leading disease-related cause of death in dogs and causes around one in four deaths.
About ImmunocidinTM
ImmunocidinTM is indicated as an immunotherapy for the intratumoral treatment of mixed mammary tumor and mammary adenocarcinoma in dogs. The product has received regulatory approval in Canada and the U.S. It is available now in the U.S. and will be available in the near future in Canada.
U.S. Veterinarians
A recent survey of U.S. veterinarians conducted on behalf of showed that mammary carcinoma is the third most common cancer treated in the last 12 months by the respondents, with an average of 2.1 cases per month.
Respondents reported to confirm an average of 19 cases of canine cancer each month, or around 8% of their total canine patient base. About two-thirds of these cancer cases are being treated in-house.
Another one-third of the cases are referred (whether or not they were initially treated in-house). On average, more than 18% of cases receive some form of chemotherapy, either alone or in conjunction with surgery.
A number of limitations were identified around the use of chemotherapy, including lack of capability of handling such drugs in the clinic, lack of owner willingness to have the therapy used on their pet, and excessive cost of chemotherapy.
Another Canine Cancer Therapy
is planning a second canine oncology product to be known as OncocidinTM.
Recent experimental studies show that a single dose of OncocidinTM following chemotherapy treatment in healthy dogs restores the number of white blood cells in the dog to normal levels within 24 to 48 hours after treatment.
The company is undertaking dose confirmation studies prior to conducting final licensing studies. It is anticipated that this work will be completed by mid-2013, after which regulatory approvals will be sought, first in North America, then in Australia and Europe.
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