AB Science, a young Paris-based biotech company, has announced the pan-European commercial launch of its veterinary anticancer drug, Masivet

Masivet was approved in November 2008 by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) for the treatment of dogs with non-resectable grade 2 or 3 mast cell tumours. Masivet's active pharmaceutical ingredient is masitinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Masitinib, discovered and developed by AB Science, belongs to a therapeutic class of drug known as targeted therapy that is, according to AB Science, revolutionising the treatment of cancer in humans.

Alain Moussy, CEO of AB Science said: "Masivet is the first product ever registered as a cancer treatment in veterinary medicine. AB Science is a dynamic and very entrepreneurial biotech company, and is proud to have introduced a drug that can extend the life of dogs suffering from cancer ahead of the large pharmaceutical companies".

The company says Mastocytoma can be an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis, and represents up to 20% of all cutaneous canine tumours. Some breeds are particularly susceptible, among them Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Boxers. Cancers have the same prevalence in dogs as in humans (1 dog in 4 will suffer from cancer during its lifetime) but surprisingly, no drugs developed for veterinary medicine with a demonstrated efficacy and safety have ever been approved until the arrival of Masivet.

The company claims two main benefits of the new treatment:

• Masivet increases the survival rate of dogs suffering from mast cell tumours
  Masivet demonstrated efficacy and safety with a placebo controlled study involving 202 dogs in Europe and the USA. The median survival time of dogs treated with Masivet was increased by 300 days in comparison to the placebo. After 2 years of treatment, the survival rate in dogs treated with  Masivet was 2.5 times that of the dogs receiving the placebo (40% versus 15%). Efficacy was also demonstrated in the ability of Masivet to prevent the progression of the tumours (an average gain of 100 days).
  
  Mr Malcolm Brearley, Principal Clinical Oncologist at The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital at the University of Cambridge said: "The launch of Masivet is a major breakthrough in cancer and paves the way for an exciting period of new development of targeted therapies, used alone or in combination with standard chemotherapy. Masivet is able not only to increase the survival of dogs with cancer but also to improve their quality of life, which is after all the ultimate goal of any treatment against cancer and offers tremendous value for the pet's owner".
  
   
• Masivet is a user-friendly anticancer drug
  Unlike chemotherapies, Masivet is delivered orally in tablet form and can be administered everyday directly by the owner, albeit under strict monitoring from the veterinarian. Masivet is available on prescription at two doses (50 or 150mg) in bottles of 30 tablets.

AB Science is a biotech company specialising in developing targeted drugs for high need indications, such as cancers, chronic inflammatory diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. Masitinib is the most advanced drug in the pipeline. Now being marketed in veterinary medicine, masitinib is also under development in humans, with phase 3 clinical studies in pancreatic cancer and in gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST).

Alain Moussy said: "This registration in veterinary medicine is good news for the future success of masitinib in humans, for whom we are aggressively developing it in cancers and other indications with high morbidity or pain.

"It is very unusual to develop such an innovative product simultaneously in veterinary and human medicines, and even more so that the product is registered in veterinary medicine first. There is no doubt that experts in human oncology will be watching Masivet's future very closely from now on.. However, people will have to wait a while before benefiting from masitinib because it is unlikely to be available to man before 2012".

For more information, see www.masivet.com and www.ab-science.com

PS: Whilst you're here, take a moment to see our latest job opportunities for vet nurses.