Genelux, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company based in Westlake Village, announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Elias Animal Health for its proprietary treatment platform for pets with cancers.
The platform, named V-VET1, is Genelux’s clinical stage animal health product candidate with a viral strain that selectively replicates in cancer cells causing cell death.
Elias plans to conduct clinical trials that will evaluate and develop V-VET1 as a potential immunotherapy option for veterinary oncologists. A Phase 1 study of the treatment platform was administered to canines with several types of cancer in a dose-escalation trial where the dogs tolerated infusions well.
Under the agreement, Genelux will receive upfront payment, development and sales milestones and royalties on product sales, the amounts of which have not been specified.
“Unfortunately, few veterinary-only drugs currently exist to treat companion animals with cancer,” Thomas Zindrick, chief executive of Genelux, said in a statement. “Elias is doing tremendous work to advance novel treatments for animal health, including cutting-edge adoptive T-cell therapy combined with surgery and radiotherapy.”
The National Cancer Institute has reported that as many as 6 million pet dogs and cats are diagnosed with cancer every year in the United States.
“This therapeutic showed promising data in the Phase 1 study, and we look forward to expanding our portfolio to broaden the cancer treatment options available in veterinary medicine,” Tammie Wahaus, Elias’ chief executive, said in a statement.
Genelux, which recently relocated from San Diego to Westlake Village, secured another licensing agreement with Newsoara Biopharma in September.
That agreement granted Newsoara an exclusive license to Olvi-Vec, an oncolytic virus platform. It also made Genelux eligible to receive up to nearly $172 million in up-front and development, regulatory and commercial milestone payments, in addition to double-digit royalties on net sales for products.