Lamassu Biotech has announced a strategic collaboration with The Ohio State University to advance the development of RABI-767, a novel therapeutic targeting acute pancreatitis in both humans and canines. The partnership represents a pioneering approach to translational medicine, addressing a critical unmet medical need that affects hundreds of thousands of patients and pets annually.
Addressing a Dual-Species Medical Challenge
Acute pancreatitis presents a significant healthcare burden across species, leading to over 330,000 hospital admissions per year for humans in the United States while affecting nearly 1.8 million dogs. Currently, no effective treatments exist for this life-threatening condition in either human or veterinary medicine, creating an urgent need for therapeutic innovation.
"This is an exciting development for those suffering from acute pancreatitis and for our four-legged family members who might also be impacted by this life-threatening condition," said Gabi Hanna, MD, CEO and founder of Lamassu Biotech. "By working with Ohio State, we are advancing research that has the potential to help both dogs and people. The data we collect from the canine trials will help accelerate the development of human applications."
Clinical Trial Design and Objectives
The collaboration will support companion clinical trials at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine, specifically evaluating RABI-767's efficacy in treating spontaneous canine acute pancreatitis (CAP). These veterinary trials are designed to refine dosing strategies and treatment protocols that could inform subsequent human clinical applications.
Adam Rudinsky, DVM, associate professor in the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Ohio State, emphasized the significance of the research approach. "The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine Blue Buffalo Veterinary Clinical Trials Office is one of the largest and most reputable in the country, overseeing many clinical trials each year on client-owned animals with naturally occurring diseases. A clinical trial targeting acute pancreatitis in pets is crucial for advancing veterinary care and enhancing human health through translational medicine."
Novel Therapeutic Approach
RABI-767 represents an innovative treatment strategy developed in partnership with the Mayo Clinic. The therapeutic employs a direct injection approach delivered around the pancreas, aiming to improve outcomes in acute pancreatitis by mitigating symptoms, reducing complications, and protecting against organ failure.
Preclinical studies have demonstrated RABI-767's potential to significantly reduce mortality and morbidity associated with severe acute pancreatitis. The compound has undergone safety evaluation in both dogs and humans, with human Phase 1 trials already completed and Phase 2 studies currently underway in partnership with Arrivo Bioventure.
Expanding Veterinary Applications
The collaboration coincides with Lamassu Biotech's launch of its new division, Lamassu Pets, which will manage the worldwide development of canine-specific formulations based on RABI-767. This expansion represents a strategic diversification of Lamassu's drug pipeline while maintaining alignment with the company's mission to accelerate hope and healing across species.
The veterinary division will focus on developing an easily administered, canine-specific drug formulation, potentially opening new market opportunities in the companion animal healthcare sector. Given the significant parallels in acute pancreatitis pathophysiology between dogs and humans, insights gained from canine studies are expected to provide valuable translational data for human therapeutic development.
Future Development Timeline
Trials in dogs are scheduled to begin in the near future, with additional details about the canine-focused trial design forthcoming. The collaborative approach is expected to accelerate the overall development timeline for RABI-767 by providing parallel data streams from both species.
"Acute pancreatitis is an area of medicine in desperate need of effective solutions," Dr. Hanna added. "We are determined to bring RABI-767 to patients and pets as quickly as possible, and our collaboration with The Ohio State moves us one step closer to achieving that goal."
The partnership represents a novel model for pharmaceutical development, leveraging the natural occurrence of similar diseases across species to advance therapeutic understanding and accelerate clinical translation for both human and veterinary medicine.
