Tetra Bio-Pharma announced that it has added international expert Dr. Louis-Philippe de Lorimier, a board certified veterinary oncologist, to its clinical advisory board for the veterinary market. “We are leveraging our current R&D work in humans to accelerate the development of the first cannabinoid-based drug for pets in the cancer-associated supportive therapy market, including pain,” said states Dr. Guy Chamberland, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Tetra.
“This market is underserved and patients and their owner are waiting for alternatives that are safer, more tolerable and more efficacious. We believe that our collaboration with Dr. de Lorimier will bring significant contributions to the launch of the first Health Canada approved drug for pets using cannabinoid-based active ingredients,” he added.
Once approved, the trial will be run at private veterinary clinics across Canada, which treats tens of thousands of animals every year. Cancer is the leading cause of death in pets, affecting 50% of dogs above age 8, and 40% of cats above 10 years of age. Tetra is developing cannabis-based products for the treatment of acute and chronic conditions that affect domestic animals, including cats, dogs and horses. The company is going to use its pharmaceutical formulation and drug development expertise to bring innovative therapies to veterinarians. Animals suffer from conditions that are similar to those affecting humans, such as cancer, nausea, appetite loss, anxiety, ophthalmologic diseases, and chronic pain.
Pet owners want the safest and most effective therapies for their animals as well as cost effective therapies. According to the American Pet Products Association, in 2016 consumers in the USA spent $66.75 billion dollars on pets. $15.75 billion dollars was spent on veterinary care. According to different market studies, the veterinary cancer therapeutic market is expected to reach USD $300 million by 2024. Cannabis-based therapies can target multiple clinical signs including pain, appetite, and nausea, thereby making the veterinary therapeutics market ideal for Tetra. Tackling these markets will allow Tetra to maximize its investment on several of its current drug therapies being developed for comparable human conditions.
“With our recent addition of Dr. Anne-Sophie Courtois – who has a veterinary doctor’s degree – as VP of Marketing, along with the world class research we are going to be conducting with Dr. de Lorimier, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of new therapies in the veterinary market, which is very lucrative and is showing strong growth. This further show how Tetra is establishing itself as the global leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development”, commented Mr. Bernard Fortier, CEO.
It is an honour to add Dr. de Lorimier to Tetra’s development and commercialization team. His expertise and guidance will help Tetra market safe and effective cannabis-based drug therapies that will help treat pain and nausea, and improve appetite and overall quality of life of pets worldwide.
