VetImmune News

The importance of the immune system in the treatment of viral diseases – Part 3

Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ FIP and FVR Research.

In 2003, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Professor Alfred Legendre, DVM, DACVM, suggested trying Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ for the treatment of FIP. His collaboration with Sass & Sass, Inc., the developer and manufacturer of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™, which started with FVR, was then expanded to include FIP trials since 2006. In 2009, Drs. A. Legendre and J. Barges published their first results about initial success with treating the non-effusive form of FIP using Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™.

Results of further research and field trials on the treatment of FIP using Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™  were presented at the ACVIM meeting in New Orleans in May 2012, and the AAHA Meeting in Phoenix, AZ in 2013. 

The summary of several years of a nationwide in-depth field study of treating the non-effusive form of FIP “Polyprenyl Immunostimulant ™ Treatment of Cats with Presumptive Non-Effusive Feline Infectious Peritonitis In a Field Study” was published in 2017.

A USDA regulated, controlled FIP trial using PI (Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™) for the treatment of non-effusive FIP is expected to start in 2020.

While Professor Legendre and Sass & Sass, Inc. have been collaborating on the use of Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ for treatment of non-effusive form FIP, on May 2, 2017, Panda Plus s.r.o.the distributor from the Czech Republic successfully registered Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ as VetImmune PI™  under Czech label.

The Institute for State Control of Veterinary Biologicals and Medicines – the regulatory authority of the Czech Republic –  granted Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ registration for support in the treatment of Feline Rhinotracheitis (a FeHV-1 herpesvirus infection) and the non-effusive form of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

The 20-year long collaboration between Dr. Legendre, DVM, and Sass & Sass, Inc. included extensive research, clinical and field trials, ongoing R&D, etc., and delivered the treatment to several thousands of cats in 41 different countries diagnosed with FVR and the dry form of FIP. Consequently, Dr. Legendre also accumulated a list of over 200 cats who are long-term FIP survivors (alive for more than 365 days after being diagnosed with FIP and starting treatment of FIP with Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™). The longest surviving cat on this list has been surviving FIP for over 13 years and is still alive and well.

Sass & Sass, Inc is currently working with the USDA to develop clinical trials that would allow regulating Polyprenyl Immunostimulant™ for the treatment of non-effusive FIP. The announcement of a USDA regulated, controlled FIP trial will be posted in major veterinary outlets ASAP and expected to start in 2020.