Kyrexa is developing a safe, simple oral cancer treatment for dogs that targets tumours while preserving quality of life.
Kyrexa was founded in 2023 to deliver a groundbreaking treatment for much-loved pet dogs with cancer, free from the drawbacks of traditional chemotherapy treatments that deter many owners from treating their pets when a cancer diagnosis is received.
The drug is given very simply, by mouth at home. The simplicity of use belies the way the drug selectively seeks out and destroys tumour cells without harming normal tissues. It does so by exploiting an innate vulnerability in cancer cells – the price for their cavalier disregard of their surroundings. In this way, we can treat canine cancer whilst allowing pets and owners to enjoy life to the full.
Cancer is a global problem
Cancer affects millions of dogs and humans each year. In fact, cancer affects 1 in 3 of all dogs, and dogs are a widely recognised model for human cancers. Every dog owner dreads a cancer diagnosis and wants their dog to live as long as possible, whilst also having a great quality of life.
Most canine cancer treatments are unlicensed legacy medicines from the human pharma market. Chemotherapy carries a risk of significant side effects which affect quality of life, requires regular blood tests and monitoring and often needs to be given into a vein.
Toxic chemotherapy by-products are excreted in faeces, urine, and saliva, posing a risk to human health for owners, their families and the veterinary team involved in patient care. This means that for some owners (particularly pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, children and the immunosuppressed) treatment means avoiding close contact with their pet.
In the UK, almost 60% of owners would decline cancer treatments for their pet due to fears of the side effects. Many owners cannot access specialist care, and many GP vets do not offer cancer treatments.
Making cancer care kinder
At Kyrexa, we have developed a cancer treatment that offers a groundbreaking, safe alternative to traditional chemotherapy.
The treatment is administered orally and uses the body’s own immune defences to target tumour cells, alongside direct attacks on the tumour and the blood vessels that feed it – selectively targeting tumour tissue while sparing normal tissues, thereby minimising side effects.
Pilot studies in dogs with advanced cancers have shown benefits, including slowing the growth rate of tumours, improvement in chest secondaries, and gains in quality of life. Dogs on treatment showed few, if any, side effects and owners reported their pets “playing like puppies.”
The removal of worry about possible unpleasant side effects seen with traditional canine cancer treatments could significantly enhance rates of treatment uptake by owners.
Path to market
Kyrexa has a clear path to approval of their medicine for use in dogs with cancer, with an accelerated route for those patients with high unmet need, and with potential for crossover into human medicine.
Kyrexa owns the intellectual property rights in a published worldwide patent with broad claims that protect the use of the active principle in the treatment of cancer in dogs and humans.
We are leveraging fast-track regulatory pathways towards early drug approval in the US and EU. The FDA has endorsed a pathway to approval in the US to allow early market access and market exclusivity. Early stability testing supports a long shelf life, and mass production costs are low.
