Description

The purpose of this study is to investigate a potential therapeutic that could reduce or alleviate lameness in horses due to athletic demands, injuries, or age.

Here at Vetana Animal Health, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, we are developing an investigational non-viral gene therapy to treat pathologic inflammation through immune modulation. The company is harnessing the power of interleukin-10 (IL-10), a potent cytokine that acts as a master regulator for multiple inflammatory pathways, to address the root cause of inflammation and subsequently restore homeostasis in the joint.

We are enrolling up to 60 horses to study the benefits, safety, and duration of our treatment. We will control the study to ensure that we can get meaningful results without any bias from the investigators at the clinical site.

Investigational Therapy

The investigational therapy for horses VH-750 is a locally injectable plasmid DNA gene therapy expressing IL-10 to address pathologic inflammation and reduce lameness.

This clinical study will investigate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of intra-articular (IA) injection of VH-750, plasmid DNA encoding equine IL-10 variant transgene, in horses with OA. The expected duration of action is ~6 months.

After injection, horses will be evaluated at the 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month timepoints at the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

Participation

Recruited participants will come to the New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania for evaluation and treatment. Total participation will last about six months and will comprise 3-4 study visits.  In addition to specialist examination and PET/CT scans, we will measure how your horse moves and uses its limbs using tools specifically designed to assess lameness and joint health in horses. Owners will be partially compensated for travel expenses at each study visit.

Enrollment Criteria

In order to participate in this study, your horse must:

• Be between 2-20 years old and weigh between 700-1,800 lbs.
• Have obvious mild to moderate lameness in a single limb caused by osteoarthritis (determined at the first visit)
• Be relatively healthy
• Be available for in-clinic evaluations over the 6-month study period

Benefits:

• Potential therapeutic benefits
• No cost examination
• No-cost PET/CT scans

Contact:

If you want to enroll your horse in this study, please complete this form.