First anti-cancer drug Masivet for dogs now available at Pet Dispensary

Some breeds of dog are particularly prone to cancer and one in four will suffer from the disease during their lifetime, a similar proportion to humans.

Masivet is a total innovation in the treatment of canine mast cell tumour (cancer).  If your dog has been diagnosed with cancer your veterinary surgeon will define the administration of the tablets and then you can treat your dog at home by oral administration of tablets.

Masivet is the first drug registered against cancer in the history of veterinary medicine.  Masivet is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor able to target selectively tumour cells.  Masivet has been developed to treat mast cell diseases. 

What is masivet?

Masivet contains mastinib which belongs to a class of medicines having an anticancer action.  It is available as round, orange tablets in 50mg or 150mg strength.

How does Masivet work?

The active substance in Masivet, masitinib, is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor.  This means that it blocks some specific enzymes known as tyrosine kinases.  These enzymes can be found in some receptors on the surface of cells, including the c-kit receptor.  Some types of mast-cell tumour are linked to a mutation that caused excessive action of c-kit and stimulates the mast cells to divide uncontrollably.  By blocking these receptors, Masivet might help to control cell division, preventing further development of the tumours with this particular mutation.

There are precautions of administration and these will be discussed with you by your vet.

In trials 40 per cent of dogs were still alive after two years of treatment with Masivet compared to just 15 per cent of those on a dummy drug, according to makers AB Science.

Pet Dispensary manager Lynsey Bacon comments, “Pet Dispensary is pleased to be able to add Masivet to our product range.  We can offer Masivet at an affordable price but we do require a prescription from the vet before we can supply this.  Masivet is not only able to increase the survival of dogs with cancer but also to improve their quality of life. 

Pet Dispensary has a helpful sales team and is happy to discuss your pet’s veterinary requirements and needs.  Further details on both the medication, prescriptions and our service is available on our website http://www.petdispensary.co.uk/”