ValiRx forms ValiRx Animal Health Ltd subsidiary

London, UK - ValiRx Plc (AIM: VAL), a life science company focusing on early-stage cancer therapeutics and women's health is pleased to announce that it has set up a wholly owned subsidiary ValiRx Animal Health Limited ("ValiRx Animal Health").

ValiRx Animal Health has been incorporated to develop and commercialise ValiRx's existing and future oncology assets in the veterinary market. The study of naturally occurring tumours in dogs can inform research into treatments for all types of cancer, including human cancer which often closely resemble each other given that pets share our environment and exposures. Comparative oncology integrates evaluation of therapeutics and biomarkers in veterinary patients with human therapy development and increased interests in advanced treatments for companion animals means there is an opportunity for pets to receive better treatments whilst providing ethical models for human clinical development.

ValiRx Animal Health will benefit from preclinical development work in the Company's human programmes which will then benefit from early clinical read outs to support partnering and human clinical trials. The Board believe that this strategy could lead to earlier commercial opportunities for these assets with Veterinary Pharma partners. Several specialist Veterinary Venture Capital funds have been identified and initial approaches made with the intention that ValiRX Vet will be independently funded.

The Veterinary Oncology market was estimated at $1.58 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit nearly $4.86 billion by 2034 with a CAGR of 12.14% throughout the forecast timeline1. The global veterinary oncology market is growing significantly, driven by increasing prevalence of cancer among companion animals, rising pet ownership and advancements in diagnostic imaging and targeted therapies.

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Mark Eccleston, CEO of ValiRx commented "I have spoken previously about our plan to develop our therapeutic portfolio for the benefit of animals as well as humans having previously been involved in the successful development, launch and $28 million sale of a cancer screening test for dogs. So, I am excited that we have now moved forward with plans to set up a dedicated Veterinary subsidiary. There is a strong scientific rationale, as well as market opportunities, for this ethical approach and several examples of companies that have followed this route. As with all our programmes, we have carried out extensive due diligence into the markets and, working with our advisory board, we have identified three key areas - Osteosarcoma, Lymphoma and Hemangiosarcoma.

"Osteosarcoma in dogs is particularly interesting for complementary development as it closely resembles human paediatric osteosarcoma. Whilst prevalent in dogs, it is a rare but deadly condition in children. Pet patients can therefore generate valuable clinical data to support human translation whilst potential for Orphan Drug Designation in humans offers attractive market exclusivity benefits in rare diseases. Also, given the high unmet need, regulatory approval can be expedited meaning lower investment costs and faster launches. Our CRO, Inaphaea Biolabs has Osteosarcoma PDC models allowing rapid in-vitro screening using our New Approach Methodology. These all align with ValiRx's strategy of smarter development."

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