Anivive Lifesciences, a pet pharmaceutical company, and Basepaws, a pet DNAsequencing company, have formed a new partnership to study feline genetics anddiabetes. The companies are encouraging veterinarians and cat ownersinterested in participating to sign up online.
“Participants will not only be helping advance feline diabetes research, butthey will also receive a free genetic breed and health report about theircat,” said Anivive’s founder and CEO, Dylan Balsz. “We are excited to workdirectly with cat owners to increase our understanding of diabetes. Thispartnership underscores how Anivive’s software is accelerating the developmentof new pet medicines.”
“Feline diabetes is a growing problem, but available treatments are expensiveand rely mostly on symptom control through insulin therapy and dietarymanagement,” explained Anivive’s chief medical officer David Bruyette, DVM,DACVIM. “There is currently no clear understanding of the contribution ofgenetic factors to feline diabetes. This study offers cat owners theopportunity to take a direct role in developing genetics-based precisionmedicine tools aiming to improve and extend the lives of diabetic cats.”
Beginning today, owners can visit the website to complete a short survey abouttheir cat’s health. Anivive will mail eligible participants a free DNAcollection kit. After collecting a DNA sample (a single saliva swab from theircat’s mouth), owners mail the kit back with pre-paid postage. Anivive andBasepaws are covering the entire cost of the study, including the genetic test($129 value).
“As a consumer pet health company, we focus on partnering with innovativecompanies like Anivive, who are leading research to advance our understandingof feline biology and improve the health management of cats around the world,”said Basepaws’ chief veterinary officer Chris Menges, DVM, MPH.
Pet owners and their cats will help advance the development of new, targetedand potentially disease-modifying therapies, as well as genetics-baseddiagnostic tools for feline diabetes.
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