OncoK9 Liquid Biopsy Test Can Enhance Cancer Monitoring in Dogs, New Results Show

PetDx analyses demonstrate the potential of OncoK9 for detection of residual disease following excisional surgery and detection of cancer recurrence following therapy.

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PetDx® – The Liquid Biopsy Company for Pets™ has released a white paper demonstrating that OncoK9®, its pioneering multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test for dogs, can enhance cancer monitoring in canine patients with a simple blood draw. The CANcer Detection in Dogs (CANDiD) study previously established the performance characteristics of the OncoK9 test for detection of 30 different types of canine cancer using next-generation sequencing (NGS) of blood-derived DNA. Initially recommended for cancer screening and as an aid-in-diagnosis, OncoK9® – The Liquid Biopsy Test for Dogs™ is now also recommended for detection of residual disease and detection of recurrence in dogs previously diagnosed with cancer.

"It is an exciting development for the field to have a non-invasive cancer detection test that can alert the veterinarian to the presence of residual disease following surgery, or to disease recurrence following therapy," said Angela McCleary-Wheeler, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (Oncology), Director of Translational Research and Collaboration at PetDx. "It is important to note that this test is intended to be used as an adjunct tool for cancer monitoring in dogs; it does not replace standard-of-care clinical assessment methods."

Following therapeutic intervention for cancer, veterinarians typically perform physical examinations and imaging tests to evaluate the clinical disease status at follow-up visits. Unfortunately, these tools may not be sensitive enough to detect residual disease after surgery or early evidence of cancer recurrence following therapy. Further, access to some imaging methods may be limited, pose risks to patients, or both.

As part of the clinical research program that supported the CANDiD study, longitudinal blood samples were collected from over 200 cancer-diagnosed canine patients across more than 500 follow-up visits to evaluate the performance of the OncoK9 test for cancer monitoring in the post-diagnosis setting. The OncoK9 result, and the presence or absence of disease, were documented at every longitudinal visit. Key findings included:

• High concordance between OncoK9 test results and clinical disease status: Over 95% of samples with a Cancer Signal Detected (positive) OncoK9 result were found to have clinical disease present at the same visit or at a future visit.
• Detection of molecular residual disease following excisional surgery: In dogs with absence of clinical disease at their first post-operative visit, those with a Cancer Signal Detected OncoK9 result at that visit were approximately twice as likely to develop clinical recurrence within six months compared to dogs with a Cancer Signal Not Detected result.
• Detection of disease recurrence: In dogs with initial complete response to therapy but with subsequent cancer recurrence over a 12-month observation period, 70% had cancer signal detected by the OncoK9 test prior to or concomitant with clinical recurrence; molecular recurrence was detected prior to clinical recurrence in 37% of those cases, with a median lead time of more than two months.

"In human oncology, blood-based detection of cancer signal after therapeutic intervention has been shown to be an effective prognostic marker and recurrence predictor and has been deployed in routine clinical care for multiple cancer types. For the first time, we present analogous results in the veterinary medicine setting, based on the largest canine cancer cohort with longitudinal monitoring by liquid biopsy reported to date," said Dana Tsui, PhD, PetDx Chief Scientific Officer. "We are excited to take OncoK9 one step further to not only help detect cancer earlier in dogs but to also help veterinarians monitor the disease more effectively after it has been diagnosed, with the convenience of a simple blood draw."

Veterinarians can order the OncoK9 test for detection of residual disease and detection of cancer recurrence in dogs starting in February 2023.

PetDx® – The Liquid Biopsy Company for Pets™ is a San Diego-based molecular diagnostics company dedicated to unleashing the power of genomics to improve pet health. The company's flagship product, OncoK9®, enables veterinarians to detect cancer in dogs with a simple blood draw. As a first-in-class multi-cancer early detection (MCED) test, OncoK9 employs cutting-edge genomic analysis that leverages next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology and proprietary bioinformatics algorithms, empowering veterinarians to provide superior care to canine patients. OncoK9 is available at most veterinary clinics in the United States and Canada through PetDx, IDEXX Reference Laboratories, and Antech Diagnostics. To learn more, visit petdx.com and connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

SOURCE PetDx