USDA approves KC biotech startup’s secret weapon in the fight against cancer in dogs

Full USDA approval of a Kansas City startup’s bone cancer therapy for dogs reflects a more-than-decade-long commitment to improving the lives of pets and their families, said Tammie Wahaus, CEO of ELIAS Animal Health.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Veterinary Biologics recently approved the first-in-class ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy (ECI) treatment for canine osteosarcoma — making the startup’s biotech solution now available at about 100 authorized treatment centers across the U.S.

“The approval of ECI represents the culmination of years of dedicated research and development, and we are proud to offer a new treatment option that meets the highest regulatory standards and offers significant benefits to both veterinarians and their patients,” said Wahaus.

The news comes a year after ELIAS expanded into a new Lenexa facility to increase capacity ahead of the ECI product’s expected approval.

ECI, the first autologous prescription product to receive the USDA-CVB green light, is indicated for the treatment of a deadly form of bone cancer that puts large and giant breed dogs — such as Golden Retrievers, Boxers, Greyhounds, Labradors and German Shepherds — most at risk.

The treatment works by first conditioning the immune system to recognize a patient’s unique cancer and then delivering an army of activated killer T cells to target and attack those cancer cells.

Click here to learn more about how ELIAS Cancer Immunotherapy works.

Tammie Wahaus, ELIAS Animal Health, speaks at InvestMidwest in 2019; photo by Tommy Felts, Startland News

Founded in 2014, ELIAS has been at the forefront of innovation within the region’s animal health corridor. The company was named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020.

“The approval of ELIAS Animal’s Health’s immunotherapy treatment is yet another watershed moment for our regional biologics innovation ecosystem,” said Melissa Roberts Chapman, president and regional innovation officer for KC BioHub. “This company’s success is a demonstration of the innovation that can happen when animal and human health needs converge — and this is our region’s secret weapon.”

Wahaus and the ELIAS team have been a model of perseverance and diligence, she continued. 

“The path to market for innovations in a regulated industry like this is a long one, when compared to tech companies,” Roberts Chapman said. “However, the kind of success that ELIAS has achieved, becoming the first-in-class approved treatment for canine osteosarcoma, is indicative of the outsized impact and returns that await investors willing to go the distance. Tammie and the team are our latest regional success story — and there are many more to come!”

A longtime builder, Wahaus was saluted by her peers at the Pipeline Entrepreneurs network for navigating the lengthy approval process with “years of resilience, grit, and unwavering belief in the mission.”

“Tammie Wahaus is the kind of founder who quietly changes the world and never looks to take credit for the impact,” said Melissa Vincent, CEO at Pipeline. “Even in the hardest moments Tammie stayed focused on the animal lives this work could save and the impact these treatments could have.” 

“And beyond building ELIAS Animal Health, she continues to pour into others by serving on several of our Pipeline committees and helping encourage the next generation of founders,” Vincent continued. “We couldn’t be prouder to have her in the Pipeline family.”