Phoenix-based TGen announced the commercial launch of Vidium Animal Health, offering genetic diagnostic tools for veterinary oncologists and “pet parents” to better detect, diagnose and treat cancer in dogs.

The company’s official start comes after more than a decade of researchers pioneering the study of naturally occurring cancer in dogs to develop genomic-based precision-medicine for veterinary oncologists and pet owners.

“Vidium is built around the human-animal bond, as the majority of pet parents consider their dog part of their family,” said Vidium president and veterinarian David Haworth. “When a pet is diagnosed with cancer, it can be a really scary time for everyone, so we want to offer the very best information, and hope, that science can offer.”

Cancer is the number one killer of pets. Approximately, one in three dogs get the disease. 

Now, with Vidium’s SearchLight DNA test, veterinarian oncologists and pathologists can more quickly and accurately diagnose cancers, deliver a prognosis and identify therapies.  

Mutations provide clues to cancer types and appropriate treatment

Vidium’s SearchLight DNA can find mutations in the DNA of a pet’s cancer cells to guide veterinarians in understanding a cancer’s origin, its behavior and the optimal approach to its treatment, according to the company’s .

Not all cancers are recognizable to trained pathologists and oncologists who diagnose and treat them, but sometimes mutations in a cancer can guide diagnosis, which is a key part of understanding what a tumor will do in an animal’s body.  

To increase a pet’s chance of survival, the SearchLight DNA test can identify any of the nearly 120 known cancer-associated genetic mutations in dogs and use the molecular profile of misbehaving genes to help guide diagnosis and treatment. Some mutations only occur in specific cancer types or subtypes, so their detection can aid veterinary teams in identifying the cancer types.

Reports generated for clinicians and pet owners 

From a sample of the pet’s tumor, Vidium uses custom sequencing technology and a proprietary genomic knowledge database built on clinical and scientific publications to generate a report for the veterinarian and pet parents. The report describes all the mutations found in the dog’s tumor, summarizes what’s currently known about the association of those mutations with cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, and identifies relevant clinical trials.

SearchLight DNA reports are customized with technical language for clinicians and easier-to-understand lay language for pet owners that fully communicates the details of their pet’s condition. 

Future goal is to expand to other animals and diseases 

While Vidium’s efforts will initially be put toward canine cancer, its goal is to expand its genomic analysis to the treatment of other animals and diseases.

Beyond assisting with the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of dogs with cancer, Vidium will play a continuing role in the discovery of new associations between gene mutations, specific types of cancers in specific breeds of dogs, and clinical outcomes, said Vidium Founder and Chief Science Officer Will Hendricks, an assistant professor in TGen’s Integrated Cancer Genomics Division. 

“We are going to play an active role in changing the landscape of veterinary care, both through expanding our understanding of genetic biomarkers, and by facilitating access to targeted therapeutics that may make a difference in specific genetic settings,” Dr. Hendricks said.

Filling a void in pet treatment 

Katie Banovich, Vidium’s director of operations, said the absence of genomic technology in the care of pets is a tremendous void that Vidium hopes to fill.

“Through application of multi-disciplinary genomic science, we want to position Vidium as a partner in the veterinary care team,” Banovich said. “We want to be a guide. We want to work with veterinarians.”

To read more about Vidium Animal Health, which is a subsidiary of TGen, visit: . 

About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix-based nonprofit dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research to unravel the genetic components of both common and complex rare diseases in adults and children. TGen is affiliated with City of Hope, an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. For more info, visit: .

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Arizona researchers are studying a potential treatment for COVID-19 that does not have some of the more damaging side effects associated with other drugs undergoing trials right now. 

The HonorHealth Research Institute and HonorHealth in collaboration with the nonprofit research institute TGen are starting a clinical trial to use a combination of an antimalarial drug called atovaquone and the antibiotic azithromycin in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 infection. 

A combination of the two has been previously studied in other infectious conditions and, if proven effective, may represent a “well tolerated” option for patients with COVID-19, said Dr. Michael Gordon, medical director of HonorHealth Research Institute and co-principal investigator of the trial.

“Relatively safer” than other drugs being tested 

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, but it also can damage the heart. 

Certain drugs being used in patient trials, like hydroxychloroquine, appear to also increase cardiac complications. 

“We know that a related regimen like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin is being tried in clinical trials around the world and one of the problems with that regimen is that it can cause some cardiac toxicity,” said Dr. Sunil Sharma, one of the clinical trial’s principal investigators with dual appointments at HonorHealth Research Institute and TGen. “Atovaquone and azithromycin is relatively safer compared to that regimen.”

Homegrown treatment and analysis of COVID-19 

HonorHealth is enrolling approximately 25 infected patients into the study. 

Conducted in collaboration with TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope, the new clinical trial is one of 10 that the HonorHealth Research Institute is working on related to COVID-19 to understand the biology, spread and treatment of the infectious disease.

“This is the first trial in the United States, and the first trial made available to patients in Arizona, that involves this specific combination of therapies,” said Kiran Avancha, COO of the HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale. 

“We are proud to be supporting this homegrown innovation here at the Institute, where we have been working with other front line providers, scientists and experts across the globe to bring several COVID-19 trials up in record time to support our patients and providers amid this pandemic.”

Volunteers wanted for COVID-19 clinical trials 

TGen is involved in a number of other studies of COVID-19 as well. Currently, it is seeking up to a hundred volunteer patients who have recovered from the coronavirus and may have built up antibodies to it. 

The study could eventually lead to new methods of diagnosing COVID-19 and help in the development of antibody therapies, and possibly vaccines.

“We are using cutting-edge research tools to study in depth the immune response to COVID-19,” said John Altin, an assistant professor in TGen’s Pathogen and Microbiome Division, the institute’s infectious-disease branch in Flagstaff, also known as TGen North. “Our goal is to enable urgently-needed new diagnostics and treatments for this virus.”

Dr. David Engelthaler, director of TGen North and Arizona’s former state epidemiologist, said this “citizen-science” study could help researchers better understand how the virus has moved through our community.

“This will help us learn more about how, when and why we produce antibodies in response to a COVID-19 infection. One class of antibodies tackles the infection first, and then another comes in to finish the job,” Dr. Engelthaler said. “Knowing when these different immune responses occur, and how long they last, could help us understand if some patients gain a certain degree of immunity against reinfection. We need to know how that works.”

To participate, volunteers must be U.S. residents, age 18 or older, have tested positive for COVID-19, and then recovered. To sign up, go to: .

About HonorHealth

HonorHealth is a non-profit Arizona healthcare network that operates five acute-care hospitals, an extensive medical group, outpatient surgery centers, a cancer care network, clinical research, medical education, and a foundation in the Phoenix metro region. It has approximately 12,300 employees, 3,700 affiliated physicians and 3,100 volunteers. HonorHealth was formed by a merger between Scottsdale Healthcare and John C. Lincoln Health Network. Learn more at .

About HonorHealth Research Institute

HonorHealth Research Institute is dedicated to finding cures and improving treatments in areas like gene therapy, early drug/device development, early detection and prevention of disease. Through our clinical trials and applied research, the institute has  improved the lives of patients from all 50 states and 28 different countries Find a clinical trial or learn more at , or contact a TGen Clinical Research Coordinator at: crc@tgen.org.

About TGen, an affiliate of City of Hope

Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting groundbreaking research with life-changing results. TGen is affiliated with, a world-renowned independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases.  For more information, visit: . Follow TGen on , and .

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