New feline food topper reduces cat allergy symptoms

Pacagen's "Cat Food Topper." (Photo courtesy of Pacagen)

A new cat food topper that aims to neutralize feline allergens was launched today. Engineered by Pacagen, a biotechnology company that produces solutions for human allergies to cats, the new anti-allergen food topper utilizes alpaca-inspired proteins to neutralize feline allergens. According to the company, this chicken-flavored topper has a 98% efficacy rate.¹

How it works

Cats produce the allergen Fel d 1 in their saliva, which is the primary cause of feline allergies. Alpacas naturally create proteins, called nanobodies, that can render allergens unrecognizable to the immune system.² To make its' allergen-neutralizing cat food topper, Pacagen recreated these nanobodies using a nonpathogenic variant of E coli, explained Pacagen in an email to dvm360. Similar to alpacas’ nanobodies, the company’s nanobodies have the ability to bind to Fel d 1 and neutralize the allergen, inhibiting a person’s allergic response.²

“Allergies are caused by allergens, which are small proteins that animals, plants, [and] other organisms make and emit. Cats have one major allergen called Fel D1. Pacagen engineers therapeutic-grade protein binders to neutralize this allergen. The specific ones we use are inspired by the alpaca natural immune system called nanobodies,” Evan Zhao, PhD, CEO and cofounder of Pacagen, explained in an email to dvm360.

“This new product is a cat food topper that people can sprinkle onto the cat food. This way, while the cat is eating, the nanobodies can neutralize the allergens in its mouth. To the cat, what we are feeding it is just protein that it uses as a nutrient, so it loves the topper,” Zhao continued.

Miaomiao, the British shorthair

The product was inspired by Miaomiao, a British Shorthair cat adopted by Zhao and his wife, Siyang Han, PhD, cofounder of Pacagen. After Miaomiao’s adoption, Han began experiencing severe allergy symptoms, including exacerbated asthma. According to the founders, the idea for a solution to Han’s allergies came from a subject Zhao studied on nanobodies, during his time at Princeton University in New Jersey.¹

“We found out that my wife was very allergic but really wanted to keep [M]iaomiao so we engineered a new solution together,” Zhao told dvm360.

According to the company, each serving of the cat topper contains a healthy amount of protein and fats. Moreover, the nanobodies themselves are healthy proteins that contribute additional nutrition once the cat consumes it, according to Pacagen, in an email. Furthermore, because of their short circulatory half-life, these nanobodies have been thoroughly tested to be safe for consumption, showing few to no unexpected effects, according to the company.
“My wife, Siyang…can now freely hug and hold [M]iaomiao,” said Zhao to dvm360 of the topper’s impact on people with allergies. “Miaomiao hates this, but it’s brought us all much closer together.”

The topper is an addition to Pacagen’s existing cat allergen product line, which includes a neutralizing spray that also utilizes the same nanobodies.

References

1. Removes 98% of active cat allergens. Pacagen. Accessed September 19, 2024. https://pacagen.com
2. Our science. Pacagen. Accessed September 19, 2024. https://pacagen.com/pages/our-science