Anyone who has ever had a cat diagnosed with feline leukemia can attest to how frustrating and heartbreaking it can be that there is no cure.

According to a press release, however, Biovalence Technologies, a Singapore-incorporated, mid-stage biotechnology start-up, is making inroads into the treatment of feline leukemia with an antiviral molecule called RetroMAD1.

A field trial was conducted by the Federal University of Rio de Jeneiro. The authors of the published research article, reported significant success of RetroMAD1 in treating the clinical signs of feline leukemia in cats suffering from this otherwise fatal disease.

The research article was recently published in the Archives of Veterinary Science and Medicine. The authors reported that, at 173 days post-treatment, the survival rate of cats treated with a daily oral dose of RetroMAD1 for 30 days was 73% vs. a 33% survival rate of cats not treated with RetroMAD1.

“In over 100 cases of cats suffering from feline leukemia presented by their owners from Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa and the U.S. that received RetroMAD1 treatment, the lives of all these cats improved so dramatically after several weeks that the owners could not believe what they witnessed,” said Dr. Cher Yew NG, the Chairman and CEO of Biovalence Technologies. “Their cats continue to live well, free from suffering, and the owners are living testimonials to share their experiences. Without a doubt, RetroMAD1 saves lives.”

Cats that were treated and survived, thrived with a better quality of life up to the end of the observation period of 433 days.

Feline leukemia or FeLV belongs to the same family as the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes AIDS in humans. Like HIV, FeLV infection is for life. The disease is almost always fatal within 6 to 12 months after clinical signs appear.

Treatment against feline leukemia has been focused on pain relief and medications to alleviate various symptoms. According to the press release, with RetroMAD1, “there is now hope of a real antidotal treatment for veterinarians and cat owners worldwide to prolong and improve the lives of their cats suffering from this disease that was once thought to be incurable.”

For more information about RetroMAD1, click here.

For more information about feline leukemia, check out “Nine Things You Should Know about Feline Leukemia” at https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-health-9-things-feline-leukemia-felv

Primary source: https://www.pr.com/press-release/800809