USDA Grants Approval for Canine T-cell Lymphoma Therapy

Aratana Therapeutics, Inc. is announcing that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted conditional approval for AT-005, a canine-specific monoclonal antibody against CD52 that acts as a treatment against canine T-cell lymphoma.

AT-005 becomes Aratana's second Canine Lymphoma Monoclonal Antibody to receive conditional approval from the USDA. AT-004, a canine B-cell lymphoma therapy, was given conditional approval from the USDA in 2012 and was licensed to Novartis Animal Health Inc. for commercialization in United States and Canada.

Aratana's canine-specific antibodies against CD20 (AT-004) for B-cell lymphoma and the latest, CD52 (AT-005) for T-cell lymphoma, are directed against the very same molecular targets as leading biologic drugs considered the standard of care in human lymphomas of both B and T cell origin.

Genevieve Hansen, Ph.D., Head of Biologics at Aratana Therapeutics, said in a statement:

Canine lymphomas, particularly T-cell, often progress very rapidly and can become fatal within weeks if left untreated. While B-cell lymphoma occurs more frequently in today's most popular dog breeds, T-cell disease is dominant in other popular breeds, and AT-005 is the first product to be approved for treating T-cell lymphoma. Now that we have achieved conditional approvals for both AT-004 and AT-005, we are helping to bring a new standard of therapy to the full spectrum of lymphoma, which is among the most common cancers in dogs.

Dog owners need to consult with their vets about access to AT-005 since they will only be available to specialist veterinary practices. Furthermore, conditional approval means that the treatment must still meet certain safety and efficacy requirements.

Source: Aratana