Beverly, Mass. — VetrixBio presented positive clinical data for VTX-304, its investigational bispecific antibody for dogs with osteoarthritis, at the 6th International Veterinary Pain Short Course hosted at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine.
The company said VTX-304 is designed to simultaneously target NGF and ADAMTS-5, combining a pain relief mechanism with an approach intended to protect cartilage in dogs with osteoarthritis.
In a natural osteoarthritis model with aged Beagles, with a mean age of 10.8 years, VTX-304 delivered pain relief comparable to the anti-NGF monoclonal antibody bedinvetmab, as measured by the modified Canine Brief Pain Inventory, VetrixBio said. The treatment was dosed at 2.5 mg/kg subcutaneously.
The company also said biochemical and cell-based studies showed VTX-304 demonstrated potent NGF/TrkA pathway inhibition and effective blockade of ADAMTS-5-mediated aggrecan cleavage, findings consistent with cartilage protection.
Osteoarthritis affects millions of dogs worldwide and can cause chronic pain and progressive joint deterioration. VetrixBio said current therapies primarily provide symptom relief but do little to halt cartilage degradation.
VTX-304 is intended to address that gap by combining the analgesic benefits of NGF inhibition with the cartilage-protective effects of ADAMTS-5 inhibition in a single molecule.
“Pain and OA in dogs are multifactorial. Single-pathway therapies leave significant disease biology unaddressed,” said Peter Hanson, Chief Scientific Officer at VetrixBio. “VTX-304 represents an important advance, anchoring analgesia to diseased joint biology while protecting cartilage integrity. These initial results show that our bispecific antibody has the potential to deliver superior therapeutic profiles in veterinary medicine.”
VetrixBio said the program is supported by scientific evidence showing NGF is a validated driver of nociceptor sensitization in osteoarthritis across species, while ADAMTS-5 is the primary aggrecanase responsible for early cartilage breakdown.
The company said systemically administered anti-ADAMTS-5 antibodies have been shown to preferentially distribute to cartilage tissue. VetrixBio said VTX-304, administered subcutaneously, could deliver sustained local anti-NGF and anti-ADAMTS-5 activity in joints affected by osteoarthritis.
By targeting both pain and cartilage degeneration, VetrixBio said VTX-304 is intended to provide disease-modifying benefits for dogs with osteoarthritis.
