Biologist’s Research on Cancer Treatment Licensed for Veterinary Use
The company founded by RSDM researcher Scott Kachlany, who is developing a drug proven to kill diseased white blood cells in animals, has signed a licensing agreement with a veterinary pharmaceutical company. The deal allows Elanco Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, to use patented technology from Actinobac Biomed Inc. to create potential medications for the treatment of livestock and companion animal diseases.
Eight years ago, Kachlany discovered that a protein produced by the same bacterium that causes periodontal disease eliminates diseased white blood cells. He established Actinobac to develop the protein as a drug, named Leukothera, which is made from the same biologic agent that specifically targets and depletes the cells.
In the fall, Kachlany and Actinobac were awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute to develop a potential treatment for blood cancers, in addition to autoimmune inflammatory diseases. The funding was for preclinical studies that will allow testing to begin on humans and pave the way for FDA approval.
The deal with Elanco, which is separate from the NIH-funded research, indicates that leukothera may be a marketable treatment for animals. “They suffer from many of the same diseases as humans,’’ noted Kachlany, an associate professor in the department of oral biology.
Adds Dr. Benjamin Belinka, president and CEO of Actinobac, “Elanco's interest in our company's technology and its animal health potential…is further recognition of our innovative approach to treat diseases that affect white blood cells which may address unmet needs in the field of animal health.’’
