KIND-030, a monoclonal antibody targeting canine parvovirus (CPV). The results showed 100% efficacy in the prevention of parvovirus, as well as a mortality benefit in the treated group.
In this randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study, KIND-030 was administered to dogs as prophylactic therapy to prevent clinical signs of CPV infection. The primary objectives of the study were met. All of the placebo-control dogs developed parvovirus infection as predefined in the study protocol, while none of the KIND-030 treated dogs developed the disease. KIND-030 binds to critical portions of the virus, preventing the virus from entering into cells.
If approved for commercial use, KIND-030 would provide veterinarians with a long-requested tool for parvovirus treatment. KIND-030 is currently being pursued for two indications in dogs: prophylactic therapy to prevent clinical signs of CPV infection and treatment of established parvovirus infection. The study results announced are to support the prevention of disease in dogs exposed to parvovirus. The treatment study is expected to be complete by year-end 2020, with approval of the product candidate expected by early 2021.
“These positive study results provide hope for the first time to dogs exposed to this deadly disease. Once puppies and dogs are infected, treatment of parvovirus is largely supportive,” notes Beth Kee, DVM, director of clinical development at KindredBio. “There is no one solution to a disease as prevalent and fatal as canine parvovirus. Veterinarians and their staff do the best they can with their current tools against parvovirus, which are mainly proper vaccination and, if exposed, supportive care and isolation. Our hope is that by providing veterinarians with a single tool that addresses both prevention when exposed and treatment of parvovirus infection, we are at last providing a solution for this devastating disease.”
Only one monoclonal antibody product is currently approved for veterinary use in the United States. There are presently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved treatments for canine parvovirus, nor any other available treatment. Other adjunct therapies have been tried, including hyperimmune serum and recombinant feline interferon-omega. Human granulocyte colony-stimulating factorand oseltamivir have had negative results in clinical trials.
CPV is the most significant and contagious viral cause of enteritis in dogs, especially puppies, with mortality rates reportedly as high as 91%. Parvovirus typically affects unvaccinated puppies less than 6 months of age but can occur in unvaccinated dogs of any age.One study showed 64.5% of dogs entering a shelter had insufficient protective antibody titers against canine parvovirus.
Veterinarians estimate that about half of the puppies infected with parvovirus they see have potentially exposed other puppies to the virus, and each puppy has the potential to expose on average five other puppies to the disease.
Banfield estimates that there are approximately 250,000 parvo cases in the U.S. each year, excluding emergency hospitals, shelters, specialty hospitals, or undiagnosed cases. Typically this number fluctuates slightly from year to year, but data from BluePearl, the national pet hospital network, recently noted a 70% increase in positive parvovirus cases and hospitalizations in their hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Kee anticipates that current tools — such as vaccinations and supportive care — will always have a place in parvovirus prevention and management. Client compliance and a proper vaccination protocol is critical for the prevention of the disease, but does not help in the face of the disease, exposure, or an outbreak.
Veterinarians said the cost of supportive care is one of the most common reasons pet owners decline to treat their animal for parvovirus. Other reasons for refusing parvovirus treatment include a poor prognosis for the animal and the pet owner’s desire to not see their pet suffer. However, many of these reasons could be overcome by having an affordable and effective treatment option for this disease.
“Even a single case of parvovirus in a clinic or shelter can have negative emotional and financial effects for the staff who must take a number of extra precautions and cleaning steps. That’s why we worked hard to develop this product candidate,” Dr. Kee says.
Regulatory approval and review timeline are subject to the typical risks inherent in such a process. The results stated in this press release have not been reviewed by the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics.
About Kindred Biosciences
Kindred Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company developing innovative biologics focused on saving and improving the lives of pets. Its mission is to bring to pets the same kinds of safe and effective medicines that human family members enjoy. The Company’s strategy is to identify targets that have already demonstrated safety and efficacy in humans and to develop therapeutics based on these validated targets for dogs and cats. KindredBio has a deep pipeline of novel biologics in development across many therapeutic classes, alongside state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing capabilities and a broad intellectual property portfolio.
