Phibro Animal Health Corporation and Rejuvenate Bio to develop canine mitral valve disease gene therapy

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Phibro Animal Health Corporation and Rejuvenate Bio, Inc. have partnered for the development and commercialization of canine mitral valve disease (MVD) gene therapy.

"We have confidence that our collaboration with Rejuvenate Bio will meet our goal to bring about an effective gene therapy that will revolutionize the way veterinarians treat MVD, adding healthy, happy years to the life of a dog who suffers from this disease,” stated Thomas Zerzan, president of the companion animal division at Phibro Animal Health, in a company release.¹

MVD is the most common congenital heart disease in dogs, accounting for over 70% of all canine heart disease and it is a leading cause of death for cavalier King Charles spaniels.^2,3 The American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club gifted support to Rejuvenate Bio for this research.

According to the release, existing therapies have been proven to slow the course of MVD, but there is no therapy that stops the disease or reverses the damage. Thus, Phibro and Rejuvenate Bio's breakthrough gene therapy aims to address the latter.

“We are excited to work with Phibro to make the treatment of MVD a reality. We expect to file for a conditional approval as early as 2023. We view this as a first step to tackling numerous age-related diseases that affect the animals we love,” Daniel Oliver, CEO of Rejuvenate Bio, expressed.

Based on research and findings, the gene therapy for MVD was revealed in the laboratory at Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute by genetics scientist and startup founder, George Church.¹

References

1. Phibro Animal Health Corporation and Rejuvenate Bio announce agreement to develop gene therapy for mitral valve disease in canines. News release. Phibro Animal Health Corporation. June 22, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220622005079/en
2. Parker, HG, Kilroy-Glynn, P. Myxomatous mitral valve disease in dogs: does size matter? J Vet Cardiol. 2012;14(1):19–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvc.2012.01.006
3. Mitral valve disease and the cavalier King Charles spaniel. Cavalier health. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://cavalierhealth.org/mitral_valve_disease.htm