Information For Veterinarians
Neovax is an autologous cancer vaccine designed to generate a patient-specific anti-tumour immune response using antigens derived from the dog’s own tumour tissue. By combining processed autologous tumour lysate with potent immune adjuvants, Neovax aims to enhance recognition of the patient’s unique tumour antigens and stimulate a clinically meaningful anti-cancer immune response.
This personalised immunotherapy approach is intended for dogs with cancers in which surgery alone may be incomplete or insufficient, or where there is a high risk of local recurrence or metastatic progression. Neovax is designed to function as an adjunctive immunotherapy within an integrated oncology plan.
Veterinary and comparative oncology has supported the use of the potent adjuvants in Neovax in dogs with osteosarcoma who have undergone amputation or limb-sparing surgery to facilitate excision of tumour tissues required to prepare the vaccine. Initial clinical trials have indicated reduced metastatic disease burden and increased survival in dogs with low or moderate graded osteosarcomas.
How It Works
Tumours contain many potential antigens, but these are often poorly recognised by the immune system because the cancer develops from the patient’s own tissues and actively suppresses immune responses. Neovax addresses this by preparing a vaccine from the dog’s own tumour tissue, creating an complex autologous antigen source that more reflects the biological complexity of that individual’s cancer.
The vaccine is formulated with ultra potent immune-stimulating adjuvants to improve antigen presentation and activate both innate and adaptive immunity. The goal is to prime anti-tumour immune responses against residual microscopic disease, reduce recurrence risk, and potentially support control of occult metastatic disease.
Neovax is particularly suited to situations where a patient-specific vaccine strategy is desirable, especially when tumour tissue is available following surgical excision or biopsy.
Key Features
- Patient-specific immunotherapy using autologous tumour antigen
- Designed to complement standard-of-care cancer treatment
- Particularly suited to post-surgical or minimal residual disease settings
- Targets the biological heterogeneity of the individual patient’s tumour
- Non-cytotoxic approach with no chemotherapy-type residue concerns
- Practical personalised vaccine option for selected veterinary oncology cases
- Can be incorporated into broader multimodal treatment plans
- Suitable for use in primary care practice and specialist settings
- Safe for the patient’s family and veterinary care team: being immune based the vaccine does not produce any toxic residues or metabolites.
Which Patients May Benefit?
Neovax may be considered for dogs with:
- Neovax has been trialled in appendicular Osteosarcoma and is recommended for this indication.
- Patients with a high risk of recurrence or metastatic spread
- Cases where surgery has been performed but microscopic disease may remain
- Owners seeking an immune-based adjunct to standard therapy
- Patients where a personalised, non-cytotoxic treatment approach is desirable
Neovax is best suited to patients in which adequate tumour tissue can be collected, processed, and formulated into an autologous vaccine in a clinically useful timeframe.
Safety And Tolerability
Clinical expectations for autologous cancer vaccination are that treatment is generally well tolerated, with adverse effects typically limited to transient local discomfort, swelling, or mild inflammatory responses at the intramuscular injection site, consistent with immune activation.
As with any biologically active immunotherapy, patients should be monitored for local vaccine reactions, short-term malaise, or unexpected inflammatory responses. Because Neovax uses tumour-derived autologous material, strict case selection, handling, and preparation standards are essential.
A Practical Personalised Immunotherapy For Today’s Veterinary Patients
Neovax represents a personalised approach to veterinary cancer care, using the patient’s own tumour as the source of vaccine antigen. In conjunction with surgery, and chemotherapies, this strategy aims to engage the immune system against residual or recurrent disease using a biologically relevant and patient-specific antigenic target.
Neovax is intended for administration only under veterinary supervision as part of a considered oncology treatment plan.
Our autologous vaccine therapy (Neovax) is not a registered veterinary product and must therefore be used off label. Its administration is restricted to registered veterinarians, who must exercise independent clinical judgment, ensure appropriate case selection, and obtain informed owner consent in accordance with relevant state and territory veterinary legislation and professional standards.
As with all off-label therapies, responsibility for safe use, monitoring, and adverse event management rests with the treating veterinarian.
Considerations For Administration
Neovax is most suitable for dogs with confirmed neoplasia where:
- tumour tissue is available for vaccine production,
- histopathology and clinical staging have been performed as appropriate,
- there is a meaningful risk of recurrence or metastatic disease,
- the patient is expected to survive long enough to mount an immune response, and
- the owner understands that this is an individualised off-label immunotherapy.
This approach is particularly attractive in cases where a personalised vaccine may complement surgery, or other oncology treatment decisions.
Because Neovax relies on patient-derived tissue, the quality, quantity, and biological representativeness of the submitted tumour sample are important determinants of whether the product can be prepared appropriately.