The science behind CaniVax
CaniVax is developing new cancer vaccines for select cancers in dogs based on antigen discovery, immune activation, and translational studies seeking to gain clinical insights that benefit your dog.
Scientific rationale
A central challenge in cancer immunotherapy is not immune activation itself, but the lack of precise immune focus on tumour-defining antigens that can drive sustained, and targeted antigen-specific T-cell responses.
In many cancers, immune responses exist, yet the responses are often diffuse, transient, or misdirected. Tumour cells express a complex mixture of antigens, making it difficult for the immune system to prioritise targets that are both cancer-specific and therapeutically meaningful.
Tumour-specific antigens
CaniVax's proprietary platform is centred on the systematic identification of tumour-specific antigens expressed only in canine cancers, focusing on high incidence and unmet clinical need. Using tumour-derived material and established analytical approaches, candidate antigens are identified based on selective association with cancer cells relative to normal tissue.
Discovery efforts prioritise antigens that are selective for the tumour and are suitable for enhancing the immune response and thereby form the backbone of the cancer vaccine.
Immune relevance and T-lymphocyte focus
Not all tumour-associated antigens are capable of supporting effective immune responses. CaniVax therefore places immune activation at the centre of target antigen selection, with a particular focus on antigens that can drive antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses.
This immune-guided prioritisation step is designed to ensure that vaccine development is focused on antigens most likely to support durable and targeted anti-tumour immunity, overcoming any problems that might occur through specific immune activation.
Vaccine design and antigen content
Cancer antigens that are selected through discovery and immune prioritisation become incorporated into vaccines designed to present tumour-defining signals clearly to the immune system. Vaccine design is informed by AI platforms and proprietary algorithms, creating an optimised design most suited to the canine immune system.
The objective is to guide the dog's immune response toward cancer-specific antigens, supporting a focused immune response against the tumour while minimising off-target effects.
Translational development strategy
CaniVax follows a scientifically-driven translational development framework that links cancer antigen discovery with clinical evaluation. Early stages in our vaccine development focus on antigen validation and immune characterisation, followed by progressive evaluation in veterinary clinical settings under appropriate regulatory guidance.
Antigen priority decisions are data-driven at each stage, allowing programmes to advance and be refined based on supporting scientific data.
Clinical evaluation
Veterinary clinical studies are designed to characterise efficacy, safety, tolerability, immune activation, and feasibility in client-owned dogs with naturally occurring disease. Study designs are intended to reflect real-world veterinary oncology practice and to generate data relevant to both regulatory review and future clinical integration.
Investigational vaccines are supplied during development and are administered under veterinary oversight.
Scope and current status
CaniVax programmes are investigational and under active development. Initial efforts focus on a limited number of high-incidence canine cancers where tumour biology, clinical need, and immune targeting potential align.
Scientific and clinical updates will be shared as programmes reach defined milestones.
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Photo credit © Adrian Baughan - Oxford Dog Photography.