- BTC-001 demonstrated favorable tolerability in healthy dogs
- Study evaluated single ascending doses up to 3x anticipated therapeutic levels
- Therapy targets PD-1, a key immune checkpoint in cancer treatment
- Built on success of human immunotherapies like Keytruda and Opdivo
- Partnership with Sunflower Therapeutics supports scalable manufacturing
- Focus on more accessible, flexible biologic treatments for canine cancer
BioTesserae has reported early positive results from a first-in-dog study of its investigational cancer therapy BTC-001, a single domain antibody targeting the PD-1 immune checkpoint.
The study found that BTC-001 was well tolerated in healthy dogs following single ascending doses, including levels up to three times the anticipated therapeutic dose. The results mark a key milestone in the development of new immunotherapy options for canine cancer, one of the leading causes of death in dogs.
Advancing Canine Immunotherapy
BTC-001 is part of BioTesserae’s pipeline of biologic therapies designed to harness the immune system to fight cancer. By targeting PD-1, the therapy aims to modulate immune responses in a way similar to widely used human oncology treatments such as checkpoint inhibitors.
The company’s approach uses single domain antibodies, which are smaller and potentially more manufacturable than traditional biologics, enabling more flexible treatment options for veterinarians and pet owners.
“This study represents two major milestones,” said CEO Dr. Patrick Iversen. “We demonstrated tolerability in dogs and successfully advanced manufacturing of the antibody at pilot scale.”
Manufacturing Innovation and Scalability
BioTesserae is working with Sunflower Therapeutics to develop BTC-001 using a yeast-based biomanufacturing platform. This approach is designed to streamline production and improve scalability, potentially lowering costs and expanding access to advanced therapies.
Sunflower Therapeutics noted that its platform enables efficient production of high-quality protein therapies suitable for both clinical and commercial use.
Toward More Accessible Cancer Care
The companies say the collaboration aims to address a major gap in veterinary oncology by delivering more affordable and scalable biologic treatments.
With promising early safety data and manufacturing progress, BTC-001 represents a step toward bringing next-generation immunotherapies to companion animals, with the goal of improving outcomes and extending quality of life for dogs with cancer.
Information sourced from the company’s press release.
