Help dogs live longer, healthier lives by fighting canine diseases like cancer, epilepsy, eye and heart disease. Our work furthers human treatments and cures too.

CHF Research Lays Groundwork for First Anti-Cancer Drug Specifically for Dogs

In 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval for the first anti-cancer drug created specifically for use in veterinary medicine. The research efforts to develop Palladia, which is used to treat skin-based mast cell tumors, was led by Dr. Cheryl London of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.

The Canine Health Foundation began funding mast cell tumor research in 2000 with a grant to Dr. London, then at the University of California, Davis. Since then, CHF has allocated more than $200,000 in support of mast cell research. Dr. London's original work studied the biological effects of c-kit mutations on mast cells, leading to a more detailed understanding of canine mast cell tumors. This early work provided a framework for the development of new therapies and disease prevention. Dr. London has also spent time researching the biology of normal mast cells to provide a platform for future work investigating the genetic basis of mast cell disease in dogs.