For millions of Americans, pets are family. And we do almost anything to provide for our loved ones and ensure they age without pain and suffering. So why would our four-legged family members be any different?
With new preventative strategies and access to health technologies, they don’t have to be. In fact, the same cord blood banking system used for human babies is now available for our fur babies. Any new puppy parent in the U.S. can have stem cells from the routine spay and neuter process shipped to Gallant, the first stem cell banking system for dogs nationwide. Just like with people, the intended purpose is to use the body’s own stem cells to address future diseases and health issues in lieu of traditional medications – which often only mitigate symptoms and have side effects – or surgeries.
“We have the opportunity to advance the entire science, by working with pets first,” contends the founder and CEO of Gallant, Aaron Hirschhorn. According to him the regulatory landscape around pets is a lot more flexible than humans, creating a potential opportunity to not only improve the quality and length of life for man’s best friend, but also to advance the knowledge around stem cell therapies across the spectrum.
It’s estimated that pet owners will spend more than $75 billion on pets, and more than $18 billion on vet care in 2019 alone. Additionally, more than 1 million pets will be spayed or neutered every month in the U.S – highlighting how big the existing pet health market already is, and the frequency of routine procedures. With tens of billions spent and millions of veterinary visits, Gallant emphasizes that the process for collecting pet stem cells can be seamlessly integrated into the current pet care system. Instead of throwing away the young stem cells, they are simply cryopreserved for later use in prospective treatments for future ailments.
However, the Gallant kits are not in vet clinics just yet. They have to be ordered directly by the pet parent, and can set you back hundreds of dollars for the collection, medical couriering, and storage. But, because the collection happens during the routine spay and neuter process, any vet can store stem cells in the Gallant kit. And, the team argues the costs are 80%-to-90% less than comparable treatments across the lifespan of a pet.
While there has been a lot of conflicting information about stem cell therapy success in humans, some stem cell therapies have been demonstrated in clinical studies to help dogs with numerous ailments including osteoarthritis, atopic dermatitis, torn ligaments, and chronic dry eye. “In my experience with clinical trials and evaluating dogs with debilitating arthritis, I’ve seen first-hand how cell therapy can change lives,” said Dr. Linda Black, Chief Scientific Officer at Gallant. “I’m committed to developing therapies that dramatically improve the quality of life for dogs.”
Gallant’s research team claims it is developing first-of-its kind biotechnologies and treatment methods – having committed to spend millions on R&D pursuing both autologous therapies (which use a dog’s own stem cells) and allogeneic therapies (which any dog can use). And they have a lot of new resources and partners to follow through on that commitment.
Gallant on Shark Tank
DISNEY
Puppies And Sharks
Gallant recently appeared on Shark Tank, striking a deal with both 23andMe’s Anne Wojcicki and Lori Greiner, with the Sharks agreeing to invest $500k in exchange for 5% of the business. Through this partnership, the team believes that Anne’s expertise in biotech and Lori’s experience bringing products to the consumer market will help continue consumer education on the power of stem cell therapy.
But the animal biotech team at Gallant has been making other moves to round out company expertise and influence. The board and advisors include heavy hitters from the human cord blood banking world as well as the former president of PetSmart Charities. The scientific team also boasts more than 100 years of collective experience in regenerative medicine. In tandem, the company has been able to raise $11 million in funding, not counting the Shark Tank money.
And yet, possibly the biggest step toward making the company a nationwide success is the recent acquisition of the vet division of Cook-Regentec, including its intellectual property, existing stem cell banking operations, and its pipeline of cell therapy products derived from reproductive tissue. Meaning, vets from the division have treated hundreds of cats and dogs with their own banked stem cells.
With a potentially huge market, wide-ranging expertise, and funding, the future of Gallant is bright. But its impact is yet to be determined. If it delivers on its promises, it stands to change how we think about caring for our four-legged family members – and how early we begin to think about preventative health care. It also brings about the possibility that our companions can teach us a thing or two about science through stem cell research.
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