FVR – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis

FVR Research and Trials

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis and URI Research(1), Trials, and USDA Regulations.

As a distributor, VetImmune® does not run clinical trials. Because veterinarians and customers often ask questions about Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ trials, we are listing past, current, and planned Sass & Sass, Inc. clinical studies and trials that involve Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ (PI, PPI).

Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR), a common and ubiquitous upper respiratory infection (URI), was the target of Sass & Sass, Inc. initial research and development. The disease is caused by FRV, which belongs to herpesviruses. The virus is easily transmitted between the cats in multi-cat environments, and the disease is ubiquitous.

Sass & Sass, Inc. Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ Research and Development timeline & benchmarks (FRV.)

• 2006 through 2013 

Sass & Sass, Inc. conducted three clinical double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of the efficacy of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant (PI, PPI) in FVR in collaboration with Dr. A.M. Legendre of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) as Principal Investigator. The studies were performed by the team of UTK College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM) at the Veterinary Research Facility (VRF) at UTCVM in specific pathogen-free cats.

• 2009 through 2010 

Sass & Sass, Inc. carried out a field safety study in compliance with Title 9 CFR and approved by State Veterinarians of the ten states where the study was conducted. This study was overseen by veterinarians working with a sample of 390 owned cats of various breed, sex, and age.

Results of the above studies were published in 2017 by A.M. Legendre, T. Kuritz, R.E. Heidel and V.M. Baylor in an open-source, peer-reviewed article titled Polyprenyl Immunostimulant in Feline Rhinotracheitis: Randomized Placebo-Controled Experimental and Field Safety Studies.(1)

Based on the results of several USDA-compliant studies, Sass & Sass, Inc. successfully completed their initial submission to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Following a rigorous, extensive review process of the data supporting the product safety and efficacy, the USDA granted the conditional license for Polyprenyl Immunostimulant. Following the USDA acceptance, Sass & Sass, Inc. performed, completed, and submitted additional studies on the product potency to the USDA.

Sass & Sass, Inc. continued research and trials with Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ applications to other diseases and species.

• 2006-2009 

Drs. Legendre and Bartges of UTK conducted and completed a preliminary pilot study on the survival times of cats with the dry (non-effusive) form of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) which was published in 2009.(2)

• 2009-Ongoing 

Since 2009, Sass and Sass, Inc. has conducted case studies in cats with chronic rhinotracheitis treated with Polyprenyl Immunostimulant. The manuscript was submitted for publication.

• 2010-2011 

Sass & Sass, Inc. in collaboration with Dr. Legendre of UTK successfully conducted and completed a field study of the efficacy of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ in naturally occurring cases of non-effusive Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). The results were published in 2017.

• 2013 

A small pilot study of the use of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant in the outbreak of canine distemper in ferrets was conducted at the Ferret Association of Connecticut.

• 2017 

Dr. VanHorn Hendrix of UTK successfully completed a clinical safety study of ocular topical application of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant. The results were presented at the meeting of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists in Baltimore, MD on October 2017.

• 2018-2019 and beyond 

Since 2018, Sass and Sass, Inc. has designed, discussed with USDA, and is in preparations to conduct a field efficacy study of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant in the treatment of ocular herpetic disease.

In 2019, Sass and Sass, Inc. conducted and completed a field study in the collaboration with the  Planned Pethood facility in VA.

Sass & Sass, Inc. is currently planning pilot studies with its new candidate SS-07, an immunity modulator that was safe in small studies with mice and cats.

(1) Results of research published in peer-reviewed journals cannot be used to substantiate health claims and do not substitute government regulated trials.

(2) Please note that under their ethics in clinical trials guidelines, Sass & Sass, Inc. believes that study animals should not be euthanized but should be provided a chance through adoption and be treated like any owned pet. Sass & Sass, Inc. does not purposely infect animals with fatal diseases and does not support any research that does.