Pets are family. The staffy cross under my desk who lives here rent free will attest to that.
Our fur children are exactly that, children. With little personalities, quirks, likes and dislikes it’s hard not to think of the four legged friend you share your space with as more than a dog.
Numerous studies have confirmed what us paw-rents already know, that pets lower stress levels and are good for human health. Pet owners in Germany and Australia visit their doctor 15% less annually than psychos non-pet owners.
For (human) children, growing up with a pet in the house increases empathy and self-esteem levels and are less likely to develop allergies and asthma.
Our love for our animals is reflected in the money we spend on them. My dog enjoys premium quality food ($70 per bag), a snuggly anti-anxiety bed ($150) and an array of enrichment toys and soft teddy bears to carry around the house ($$$$). When sick or uncomfortable, there’s little pet owners wouldn’t do, or spend, to restore their baby to health.
With this knowledge, clinical stage dermatology company Botanix (ASX: BOT) has launched their canine atopic dermatitis program. The dermatology specialists note that atopic dermatitis in humans and dogs is immunologically very similar. Their proprietary drug is BTX 1204A, a topical formula containing CBD for its unique anti-inflammatory and immune modulating properties.
The BTX 1204A canine study is now underway after receiving ethics approval. The study will look at 45 dogs across 3 sites in both Australia and New Zealand to evaluate the performance of two formulations of BTX 1204A for 28 days.
Evidence from previous studies suggests that BTX 1204A could hold potential benefits to dogs suffering from dermatitis. Synthetic CBD can inhibit itch and repair the skin barrier as well as being an effective antimicrobial against staph infection causing bacteria.
As well as opening up licensing opportunities within the animal health sector, findings from Botanix’s canine study could translate to ongoing human studies and support the progression to a Phase 2b clinical trial in humans.
There is a large unmet need for an effective treatment for dermatitis which affects 31 million people in the US alone with 1 in 10 people set to develop symptoms at some point in their lifetime. Our four legged friends suffer too with many breeds being susceptible to dermatological issues.
President and Executive Chairman of Botanix, Vince Ippolito said: “Following encouraging results of our pilot study in Q2 CY2021, we are excited to now commence a larger BTX1204A study in canines with atopic dermatitis. Given the similarity in disease between humans and canines, this study is an efficient and effective pathway to establishing the potential for a higher dose Permetrex formulation to demonstrate a new option for treating this significant disease challenge.”
Samantha Freidin is a business journalist at Emerald Financial whilst also completing a Masters of Marketing and Digital Communications at Monash University.
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