Pet biotech establishes board of directors, looks ahead to therapies for autoimmune disease, obesity and allergy.
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vetigenics, a clinical-stage animal health biotechnology company specializing in antibody therapeutics for pets, announces significant progress over the past year, including closing a $6 million seed round and advancing multiple clinical-stage programs.
The investment sets the stage for accelerated growth and value creation for Vetigenics. The funds will be used to advance clinical-stage programs toward pivotal trials, accelerate exciting preclinical candidates, and scale up operations and manufacturing.
"The funding underscores the confidence our investor partners have in our ability to achieve significant progress in a capital-efficient manner," says Adriann Sax, President, CEO and co-founder of Vetigenics. "They share our belief in the potential of biologics to treat a variety of diseases in pets and the unique capabilities of Vetigenics to stay ahead in this evolving field."
In addition to this financing success, two major trials using Vetigenics' antibodies to treat canine cancer have reached key milestones:
VGS-001 (anti-cCTLA4): The antibody therapy was combined with palliative radiation to treat oral melanoma in dogs. The trial is complete, and encouraging results are expected to be published in 2025.
VGS-002 (anti-cPD1): The study using VGS-002 as monotherapy in dogs with urothelial carcinoma is nearing completion and promising results are anticipated later this year.
"It is very exciting to see Vetigenics' checkpoint inhibitors safely addressing significant unmet needs in common veterinary cancers," says Nicola Mason, BVetMed, PhD, DACVIM, FRCVS, Vetigenics co-founder and clinical investigator.
Vetigenics is also advancing its promising preclinical programs to treat autoimmune disease, obesity and allergy in pets. These therapeutic innovations are expected to address significant unmet needs in companion animal care. In particular, VGS-003 (anti-cCD19 mAb) has been evaluated in vivo and is on track to enter clinical trials by the end of 2025.
"The unique construction of the CANIBODY™ library offers Vetigenics the ability to isolate antibodies to the most challenging targets," says Don Siegel, PhD, MD, Vetigenics co-founder and researcher.
"To date, our technology has enabled novel antibody generation across therapeutic areas and species in a variety of formats."
The company has also established a board of directors made up of prominent industry leaders to guide its continued growth:
Chand Khanna, DVM, PhD, a leader in comparative oncology and translational medicine
Stephen Lesser, JD, MBA, a seasoned strategic advisor in biotechnology and life sciences
Caleb Frankel, VMD, an EMR pioneer and tech innovator in the veterinary space
Adriann Sax, MBA, President, CEO and co- founder of Vetigenics.
With a promising pipeline of clinical trials, new strategic partnerships, and an expanded team of experts, Vetigenics is poised to continue transforming pet health in 2025. The company remains committed to helping pets live their best lives through cutting-edge science and collaborative efforts with partners and supporters.
About Vetigenics
Vetigenics is a clinical-stage animal health biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing targeted antibody therapies for pets from a platform that provides unlimited therapeutic potential. Its proprietary CANIBODY™ technology unlocks faster, more cost-effective, and ethical solutions to develop superior antibodies proven effective in humans with cancer and chronic diseases but created specifically for pets. The company's innovative technology and pioneering expertise in antibody discovery and development are trusted by global animal health partners and the National Cancer Institute. At Vetigenics, we are dedicated to enabling pets to live their best lives. For more details, visit www.vetigenics.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
SOURCE Vetigenics
