17 June 2009

A new drug is bringing hope to animal lovers whose beloved four-legged friends have been diagnosed with mast-cell cancer.

Created by AB Science, Mastivet has been engineered to tackle tumours that commonly occur on the surface of pets' skin.

Figures from the company reveal that these kinds of growths account for 20 per cent of all animal skin cancers.

Malcolm Brearley, the University of Cambridge's principal clinical oncologist, explained that the medication improves the quality of life of sick pets.

In addition, a study by the drug's manufacturer shows that 40 per cent of dogs taking the drug survived, while just 15 per cent of those not receiving treatment successfully battled the condition.

"The launch of Masivet is a major breakthrough in cancer and paves the way for an exciting period of new development of targeted therapies," said Mr Brearley.

Meanwhile, the University of Edinburgh recently opened a £3 million cancer centre dedicated to treating pets afflicted with the disease.