Frequently Asked Questions

A vaccine designed from your animal's own tumour. The tumour is sequenced to identify the mutations driving the cancer. The mutations most likely to be recognised by the immune system are selected and encoded into an mRNA sequence. When injected, the mRNA teaches the immune system to attack cells carrying those mutations. Every vaccine is unique because every tumour is unique.

Personalised mRNA cancer vaccines are in Phase III human clinical trials. In melanoma, they have shown a 49% reduction in recurrence at five-year follow-up. The underlying mRNA platform has been used in billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses. Applying this science to companion animals is new — you can read our honest expectations about response rates on the For Pet Owners page.

Treatment cost depends on the specific case and the stage of our programme. We share pricing details during the initial assessment conversation. The price covers the complete pipeline: sequencing, analysis, vaccine design, manufacturing, QC, and cold-chain delivery. Biopsy and administration are billed separately by your vet.

Approximately 4–6 weeks from tumour biopsy to vaccine delivery. The main time drivers are sequencing (1–2 weeks), computational analysis (about 1 week), and mRNA manufacturing (2–3 weeks).

Based on human clinical data: approximately 20–35% of cases show strong tumour response, 25–40% show partial response or stabilisation, and 30–50% show no measurable response. These odds are better in the adjuvant setting (after surgery) and worse in advanced metastatic disease. We provide a full honest assessment on the For Pet Owners page.

If there is no response, the genomic data can be re-analysed for a second vaccine targeting different mutations. We will also be honest if we believe further treatment is unlikely to help — we will not encourage unnecessary spending.

Based on the human mRNA/LNP safety profile: mild injection-site reactions are common, occasionally mild fatigue or low-grade fever, typically resolving within 24–48 hours. Serious adverse events are rare but cannot be excluded.

Yes. The sequencing, analysis, and manufacturing are handled remotely. The vaccine is shipped to your vet under cold chain. Your vet must be willing to prescribe and administer under their local clinical authority. We currently serve clients across Europe.

In Switzerland, each vaccine is manufactured under Article 9(2)(a) HMG — a medicinal product manufactured on prescription for a specific animal, exempt from marketing authorisation. For veterinarians outside Switzerland, parallel frameworks exist in the UK and the Netherlands. We advise on the applicable framework for your jurisdiction.

Tumour biopsy (fresh frozen preferred, FFPE acceptable), matched normal tissue (EDTA blood), and a prescription for the personalised vaccine under your clinical authority. We provide sample collection kits and coordinate all logistics.

Contact us directly or use the referral form on our Contact page. We will discuss the case, assess candidacy, and walk you through the process. No commitment required until you approve the neoantigen analysis.

Follow-up tumour measurements at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Adverse event reports. Quality of life assessment. We provide standardised templates. All data is anonymised in the comparative oncology dataset.

Computational prediction using pVACseq with NetMHCpan-4.1, filtered by binding affinity (<500nM), binding stability, expression validation from RNA-seq, clonality, proteasomal cleavage prediction, and self-similarity to the normal proteome. 15–20 neoantigens are selected per vaccine. Full pipeline detail is on the For Veterinarians page.

mRNA vaccines enable the patient's cells to produce the neoantigen proteins in their native conformation, eliciting both CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. They are fast to manufacture (no cell culture required), easy to encode multiple epitopes in a single construct, and have a proven safety profile from billions of human doses. Peptide vaccines require adjuvants and often produce weaker CD8+ responses. DNA vaccines carry theoretical integration risk.

Every treated animal generates a matched record: tumour genomic profile, mutations identified, neoantigens selected, vaccine design, and measured tumour response. This closed-loop dataset — prediction linked to outcome — is what neoantigen prediction algorithms need to improve. Across hundreds of cases and multiple species, it becomes a unique asset for pharmaceutical companies developing human personalised cancer vaccines.

DLA (Dog Leukocyte Antigen) alleles are determined from the germline whole-exome sequencing data. The primary focus is DLA-88 class I alleles, which present peptides to CD8+ T cells. Known breed-DLA frequency distributions are used for validation. The canine DLA database is less comprehensive than human HLA — this is a known limitation that is disclosed per case.