"We are leveraging our current R&D work in humans to accelerate the development of the first cannabinoid-based drug for pets in the cancer associated supportive therapy market, including pain. This market is underserved and patients and their owner are waiting for alternatives that are safer, more tolerable and more efficacious. We believe that our collaboration with Dr de Lorimier will bring significant contributions to the launch of the first Health Canada approved drug for pets using cannabinoid-based active ingredients," states Dr Guy Chamberland, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) of Tetra.
Once approved, the trial will be run at private veterinary clinics across Canada, which treats tens of thousands of animals every year. Cancer is the leading cause of death in pets, affecting 50% of dogs above age 8, and 40% of cats above 10 years of age.
Tetra is developing cannabis-based products for the treatment of acute and chronic conditions that affect domestic animals, including cats, dogs and horses. The company is going to use its pharmaceutical formulation and drug development expertise to bring innovative therapies to veterinarians.
"With our recent addition of Dr Anne-Sophie Courtois - who has a veterinary doctor's degree - as VP of Marketing, along with the world class research we are going to be conducting with Dr de Lorimier, we are positioning ourselves at the forefront of new therapies in the veterinary market, which is very lucrative and is showing strong growth. This further shows how Tetra is establishing itself as the global leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development", commented Mr Bernard Fortier, CEO.
Dr de Lorimier’s expertise and guidance will help Tetra market safe and effective cannabis-based drug therapies that will help treat pain and nausea, and improve appetite and overall quality of life of pets worldwide.
Dr Louis-Philippe de Lorimier obtained a BSc degree from McGill University, earning his veterinary doctorate degree from the Université of Montreal in 1996. He practiced veterinary medicine in Montreal, Quebec, for 4 years before entering the veterinary oncology residency programme at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).
He completed this medical training in 2003 and became board certified by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, oncology specialty. He worked as an Associate Professor from 2003 to 2007 at the UIUC and subsequently returned to Canada to join the team of veterinary specialists of Centre Vétérinaire Rive-Sud in 2007.
Dr de Lorimier is a member of several national and international veterinary oncology committees. He is the author or co-author of more than 40 scientific articles and over a dozen chapters in veterinary textbooks.
Along with his core expertise in the management of veterinary cancer patients, Dr de Lorimier's interest in cannabinoid based therapies and his clinical research experience brings considerable expertise to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids in pets.
Focusing our development on therapies that address unmet medical needs and that can easily be administered to pets is a crucial aspect to commercialising new veterinary drugs. Dr de Lorimier will be instrumental in guiding TBP's product development to commercialise new therapies that address the management of pets with cancer and that can easily be administered to the animals by the owners.
