If your dog has recently been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen, our clinical study at the University of Illinois Veterinary Hospital in Urbana may be an option, and there is no cost to take part. The study is testing FAM-010, a new investigational chemotherapy designed to be gentler on the heart. Your dog may be eligible if they recently had their spleen removed or have surgery scheduled.
Hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer that starts in the blood vessels, most often in the spleen. It often shows few signs until a tumor bleeds, so many dogs are diagnosed suddenly, sometimes in an emergency.
Treatment usually starts with surgery to remove the spleen, followed by chemotherapy. Even with both, the cancer often comes back, and there is still no FDA-approved treatment for hemangiosarcoma in dogs.
Doxorubicin is the current standard chemotherapy for dogs with hemangiosarcoma after surgery. But it can also reach and damage healthy tissues, especially the heart. This limits the total amount of chemotherapy a dog can receive.
FAM-010 is a new form of doxorubicin, designed to carry more of the medicine to the cancer and less of it to the heart. We hope this will let dogs receive more of the treatment they need, more safely.
This first study will find the right dose of FAM-010 for dogs: the highest dose they can receive without side effects becoming too much. Every dog in the study receives FAM-010, given as a short infusion every three weeks at the University of Illinois, and the study team monitors each dog closely throughout.
FAM-010 is investigational and not approved by FDA for dogs. This study is designed to establish the dose and understand its side effects.
STUDY ELIGIBILITY
If the following apply to your dog, we encourage you to contact us. Our study team will review your dog’s medical history and test results to confirm eligibility.
A pathology report has confirmed hemangiosarcoma of the spleen, or you are waiting for the result.
Your dog has had their spleen removed or has surgery scheduled.
You are able to travel to the study site in Urbana Illinois within 21 days after surgery.
Your dog has not received chemotherapy, radiation or another investigational drug.
You could bring your dog to Urbana for regular study visits.
Your dog is not intended for breeding.
Wondering if your dog might qualify?
Filling out the form doesn’t commit you to anything. Tell us a little about your dog, and if the study looks like a fit, we’ll connect you with the University of Illinois study team to confirm eligibility and answer your questions.
Ask about the study
Asking about the study does not enroll your dog or commit you to taking part.
Questions about the study
If your dog has been diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, this study could give them access to a new investigational treatment at no cost to you, with close care from the veterinary team at the University of Illinois.
You may want to consider it if you and your veterinarian are looking at care options after hemangiosarcoma diagnosis and after spleen surgery. Your dog would receive the study drug and be monitored by the oncology team at Illinois, with study care paid for by Familiar. Taking part also helps researchers learn whether FAM-010 should be studied further for dogs with hemangiosarcoma. Our study team can help you understand how the study compares with other options for your dog.
You would bring your dog to Urbana about every three weeks for treatment and health checks. The initial course is planned for six treatments over about three and a half months. Some dogs may receive up to twelve treatments. There are also follow-up calls and visits after treatment ends. Before you decide, our study team will explain the full schedule and what each visit involves.
Yes. Every dog that joins this study receives FAM-010. There is no placebo. Dogs enter in small groups, and the dose may differ between groups as the team learns what dogs can tolerate.
We hope it could. That is one reason we are studying it. This first study focuses on the dose dogs can tolerate and the side effects they experience. Our study team can discuss the study alongside other care options for your dog.
No. You can ask about the study now, especially because the first dose must be given within 21 days after surgery. Our study team will need to confirm the diagnosis before your dog can join.
Because FAM-010 is investigational, we are still learning what side effects dogs may have at different doses. Our study team will assess your dog's health before enrollment, monitor your dog during treatment and explain the known and possible risks before you decide. They can also discuss those risks alongside other care options for your dog.
Dogs enter in small groups so our study team can review side effects before studying the next dose. A pause may mean the next group cannot begin within 21 days after your dog's surgery. If that happens, we will tell you rather than leave you waiting.
Familiar covers the full participation in the clinical trial including study screening, treatment and follow-up care. Your only cost associated with taking part is travel to and from the hospital in Urbana.
Possibly, but dogs intended for breeding cannot join. FAM-010 is expected to cause permanent infertility in male dogs that have not been neutered. Our study team will explain what this means for your dog before you decide.
Yes. You can choose to stop your dog's participation. Our study team will discuss your dog's ongoing care with you.
Familiar is an animal health company developing medicines for dogs and cats. We are developing FAM-010 and sponsoring this study. Veterinarians at the University of Illinois are responsible for evaluating dogs, explaining the study and providing their care during it.
About this study: Sponsored by Familiar Therapeutics and conducted at the University of Illinois Veterinary Hospital in Urbana, Illinois.
