Vivesto AB announced that the company has decided to initiate clinical development of the veterinary oncology drug candidate Paccal Vet (paclitaxel micellar). A clinical efficacy study with Paccal Vet in dogs in hemangiosarcoma and malignant melanoma is planned to start in the second half of 2023. The need for safe and effective cancer treatment in dogs is vast and increasing as the number of pets grows.

There are 90 million dogs in the US and 93 million dogs in the EU in 2021, with approximately 1.5 million dogs developing cancer in each market per year. There are currently few approved drugs for the treatment of cancer in dogs and current paclitaxel formulations are not tolerated by dogs and therefore cannot be used. Vivesto's drug candidate Paccal Vet is paclitaxel formulated with the company's XR-17 technology, which enables good solubility without the undesirable effects of traditional formulations containing solvents.

A first limited clinical efficacy study is planned to, as a first step, evaluate Paccal Vet in the indications of hemangiosarcoma. There are no approved chemotherapy treatments for these diagnoses in dogs. Vivesto has previously shown good safety of Paccal Vet in the treatment of various types of cancer in dogs.

The absence of the solvent cremophor, to which dogs are particularly sensitive, reduces the risk of serious side effects and death caused by the treatment. Paccal Vet also does not require the addition of human albumin, which when used in dogs can cause hypersensitivity reactions and reduced treatment effectiveness.