Current Clinical Trials

What are clinical trials?

Clinical trials at the OVC HSC are research studies involving client-owned animals with the ultimate goal of advancing animal health care. These studies may try to identify the most effective therapies and practices for a given condition or increase our understanding of a disease process.

Participation in clinical trials at OVC HSC may provide our clients & their companion animals with unique access to new tools and treatments. Clinical research in companion animals may also help humans and vice versa.

For all clinical trials performed at the Ontario Veterinary College, informed consent will be obtained from a patient’s owner. The clinical care of a patient will not be compromised regardless of participation status.

OVC HSC is the first Canadian centre in the Comparative Oncology Trials Consortium (COTC – 20 sites) of the NIH-NCI-Center for Cancer Research’s Comparative Oncology Program set up to conduct clinical trials in dogs with cancer to assess novel therapies! We currently do not have any active studies with the COTC.

Recruitment closed in Nov 2017 for the first study: Standard of Care Therapy with or without Rapamycin in Newly Diagnosed Dogs with Appendicular Osteosarcoma). Published in June 2021: Adjuvant Sirolimus Does Not Improve Outcome in Pet Dogs Receiving Standard-of-Care Therapy for Appendicular Osteosarcoma: A Prospective, Randomized Trial of 324 Dogs. (2021) LeBlanc AK, Mazcko CN, Cherukuri A, Berger EP, Kisseberth WC, Brown ME, Lana SE, Weishaar K, Flesner BK, Bryan JN, Vail DM, Burton JH, Willcox JL, Mutsaers AJ, Woods JP et al. Clinical Cancer Research: 27(11), 3005-3016.

Our second trial in collaboration with NIH-NCI-COTC closed for recruitment in Oct 2019: Evaluation of a recombinant, attenuated Listeria monocytogenes expressing a chimeric human HER2/neu protein in dogs with osteosarcoma in the adjuvant setting. Data analysis currently underway.

For information on oncology & oncology-related clinical trials currently recruiting companion animal patients at the Ontario Veterinary College, please refer to the links below:

DOGS:

Abdominal Tumours

• Investigating Carboplatin Chemotherapy As Adjuvant Treatment For Canine Splenic Hemangiosarcoma
• **ON HOLD** Evaluating the Use of Fluorescence Dyes in Surgery to Identify Canine Pancreatic Cancer and Metastasis

Bone Tumours

• **ON HOLD** Magnetic resonance (MRI)-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to treat limb osteosarcoma in dogs: a pilot study
• **ON HOLD** Profiling and validation of extracellular vesicles as circulating biomarkers in canine OSTEOSARCOMA: a DOGBONe project

Head & Neck

Oral Tumours

• Comparing the Use of Fluorescent Dyes in Surgery to Previously Reported Methods for Improving Lymph Node Staging in Dogs with Oral Cancer

Thyroid Tumours

• **ON HOLD** Exploring a Novel Diagnostic and Treatment Technique in Combination With Surgery for Thyroid Tumours in Dogs
• Analyzing Lymph Node Spread in Dogs Undergoing Surgery for Thyroid Tumours

Lymphoma & Leukemia

• Evaluating Outcomes Associated with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in Dogs
• Evaluating the Clinical Outcome of Dogs Diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoma

Skin & Subcutaneous Tumours:

Mast Cell Tumours

• Gastrointestinal lesions and bleeding in dogs with mast cell tumours

Soft Tissue Sarcomas

• Investigating biomarkers for metronomic cyclophosphamide treatment of canine soft tissue sarcoma

Thoracic Tumours

Pulmonary Carcinoma

• **ON HOLD** Evaluating the Use of Fluorescent Dyes in Surgery to Improve Lymph Node Staging in Dogs with Lung Cancer

---

CATS

Oncology-related studies:

• Assessment of a Novel Urine Biomarker for Acute Kidney Injury in Cats

---

For further information on current and upcoming clinical trials please contact:
Deirdre Stuart (MSc), Veterinary Biobank Coordinator
Work cell #: 226-979-8467
Email address: ovc.clinicaltrials@uoguelph.ca

Associated Links Out:

• OVC Pet Trust – Help the pets we love, live longer, healthier lives! OVC Pet Trust is Canada’s first charitable fund dedicated to the health and well-being of companion animals.
• Kennel to Cure – A research collective based at the OVC with collaborators and team members across Canada, focused on translational research between companion animal cancer research and human cancer research. Research focuses include pathobiology of tumourigenesis, novel therapeutics and personalized medicine, ethics and quality of life, and social, economic and logistical aspects of cancer search in Canada.
• Smiling Blue Skies – A broad scope support and resource page for all things about canine cancer, its treatment, and research. Smiling Blue Skies can offer financial support for treating pets with cancer.