FeLV FIV

In Development

Veterinarians can contact us for information about clinical trials

T-Cell Receptor (TCR) therapeutic vaccines are a new promising approach for feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection.

Recently, work done in retroviral infections in mice have shown the TCR therapeutic vaccines to have significant benefits.  This brand new class of biologics are being evaluated for treatment of feline leukemia virus infection and treatment of feline immunodeficiency virus infection.

Feline leukemia virus, a retrovirus, is a common infection of cats. It is the cause of more cat deaths, directly or indirectly, than any other organism and is widespread in the cat population around the world. Feline leukemia virus infection (FeLV) can be transmitted by the saliva of infected cats contaminating the eye, mouth, and nose membranes of non-infected cats via licking, by passing infected blood to non-infected cats, and from mother to fetuses (developing kittens) during pregnancy.  Most infected cats can actually eliminate the virus and become immune. In those cats that do not develop immunity, the virus spreads to the bone marrow where it can proliferate and spread.

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is a a retrovirus in the same family as feline leukemia virus (FeLV)which attacks the immune system, and as a result, the cat is unable to fight off various infections and cancers. FIV infected cats may show nonspecific signs such as lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), and weight loss.