MetaImmuneTech, a digital immune cell analysis platform company, is accelerating its entry into the pet immune monitoring market through a strategic partnership with Vaxcell Bio, a developer of cancer immunotherapies. The collaboration aims to translate next-generation cell analysis technology from research and development (R&D) into practical applications in veterinary medicine and commercial opportunities in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
MetaImmuneTech announced on September 2 that it has begun full-scale commercialization of its proprietary pet immune function analysis system, Cellytics Pet Immunity (CPI), and commenced product deliveries under a supply agreement with Vaxcell Bio.
|
CPI is an advanced system that quantitatively analyzes the composition and activity of key immune cells responsible for innate and adaptive immunity in the peripheral blood of dogs. While conventional blood tests at veterinary clinics primarily measure blood cell counts and biochemical parameters, CPI directly evaluates the functional activity of immune cells, providing a comprehensive understanding of each animal’s immune status.
At the core of CPI’s competitive advantage is MetaImmuneTech’s proprietary Lens-free Shadow Imaging Technology (LSIT). Instead of relying on bulky and complex optical lenses, LSIT utilizes digital inline holography to capture cellular images and precisely quantify morphological changes in cells. This technology enables rapid and convenient immune cell analysis in clinical settings without requiring expensive flow cytometers, which can cost hundreds of millions of Korean won, or highly specialized personnel.
MetaImmuneTech has positioned CPI as the first commercial pet healthcare application of its flagship Cellytics platform. The company aims to establish CPI as an immune monitoring platform that tracks changes in immune status throughout the entire course of disease treatment, moving beyond one-time diagnostic testing.
Vaxcell Bio, MetaImmuneTech’s partner in this initiative, is a biotechnology company that developed Boxleukin-15, South Korea’s first cancer immunotherapy drug specifically designed for dogs. Based on interleukin-15, Boxleukin-15 has received official marketing authorization from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) as an adjunct immunotherapy for canine mammary tumors and lymphoma. The product is currently distributed in South Korea through Yuhan Corporation. Vaxcell Bio is also expanding its global presence through a Master Partnership Agreement (MPA) with Taiwan-based Reber Genetics.
Recognizing that immune status and treatment responses can vary significantly among individual animals, even those with the same type of cancer, the two companies plan to use CPI to precisely monitor changes in immune cell composition and activity before and after Boxleukin-15 administration. Through this approach, they aim to establish optimized, personalized treatment protocols.
MetaImmuneTech is also accelerating the expansion of its clinical and distribution networks. In collaboration with Konkuk University Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, the company has established reference intervals for immune cell activity based on blood samples from healthy dogs and launched a formal testing service.
In addition, MetaImmuneTech is conducting joint research with major specialized veterinary institutions, including VIP Animal Medical Center and Leaders Animal Medical Center, to investigate the correlation between immune cell activity and clinical outcomes in canine cancer patients.
The commercialization of CPI is also regarded as a representative example of government-funded fundamental and original R&D technology being successfully translated into a commercial product.
Through the Science Belt Technology Commercialization Program under South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, MetaImmuneTech acquired lens-free cell analysis technology developed by Korea University Sejong Campus through a technology transfer agreement. The company subsequently advanced through prototype development, protocol standardization, and clinical field validation before entering the full-scale product supply stage.
Looking ahead, MetaImmuneTech plans to expand its supply network to regional veterinary hospitals nationwide while extending CPI’s applications beyond dogs to other companion animals. Leveraging the extensive clinical data accumulated in South Korea, the company also intends to accelerate its entry into the global pet precision medicine and immune monitoring markets.
Han Sun-mi, Co-CEO of MetaImmuneTech, stated:
“The supply agreement with Vaxcell Bio marks a significant milestone, demonstrating that Cellytics’ immune cell analysis technology has progressed beyond the R&D stage and is now being implemented in real-world veterinary medicine and the immunotherapy industry.”
She added:
“Through CPI, we aim to objectively demonstrate changes in immune status before and after treatment using quantitative data and establish a new standard in the global pet precision medicine market.”