James Jacobson: One of the more common drugs that’s used in cancer therapy is one that is only recently come to market it’s called “Palladia”, and let me ask you first Dr. Ettinger, tells us a little bit about Palladia and your thoughts on that.
Dr. Susan Ettinger: Yeah, Palladia is a really exciting new drug for a lot of different reasons. First, it is the first FDA approved drug for dogs. Most of the other cancer, anticancer therapies that we use in dogs so your traditional chemotherapy drugs were designed for people and over the years, we’ve learned how to give safely in dogs. So, Palladia was designed for dogs, and it was actually targets a mutation that about a third to a half on dogs with mast cell tumors have. So it’s a class of drugs called secret inhibitors and it targets its mutations that some dogs with mast cell tumors have.
James Jacobson: Okay, you use it for what kinds of cancers?
Dr. Susan Ettinger: Well, obviously, the number one cancer that we use it for is dogs with skin or cutaneous mast cell tumors. But we’ve also learned that this drug inhibits some of the other antiangiogenic receptors. So, it can be use or something called antiangiogenesis. So, we’re learning as a drug has been available for about 2 years now that it’s having some efficacy for some other cancers specifically fibrocarcinomas, anal sac carcinomas, and osteosarcomas. So, it’s being use a little bit more wide spread than it was initially designed for.
James Jacobson: Ok, and Dr. Dressler, what are your thoughts about Palladia?
Dr. Demian Dressler: I think Palladia has its certainly has its place in the tool box that we have available for treating canine cancers. It got a lot of press because it was the first drug and as such became very well known the first drug approved for canine cancer. Now, we should understand that most of the drugs that we use in conventional cancer care in dogs are actually human drugs that approved for use in humans and maybe more frequent than the use of Palladia.
James Jacobson: Ok. Now, there are some interesting side effects from Palladia, in cautions related to Palladia, right? Do you wanna pick up on that?
Dr. Susan Ettinger: Well, Palladia is an oral medication that you’re giving at home. Usually, every other day or on a 3 time-a-week schedule. So, commonly we’re using it Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. So, most of the time when we’re administering injectable chemotherapy at the office, if their dogs gonna get side effects, it’s usually gonna be within the first couple of days, and within a couple of days the dog has gonna get over those side effects. With Palladia, since it’s continually, continuously being given by the guardian at home, those side effects can continue to build up and it’s really important if your pet’s having any side effects. Weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, changes in appetite or energy that you contact your veterinarian and you stop the medication. It is more important to give the pet a Palladia holiday than to keep plowing through the side effects. So, it’s really important to early recognition of side effects. Stop the medication, and then contact your Oncologist or your Veterinarian who’s managing the case with you.
James Jacobson: Dr. Dressler?
Dr. Demian Dressler: Absolutely! And, if one digs a little bit either in conversation with the Oncologist or even online. There are data available that give you the odds, the statistics. Ok, what are the odds of getting a side effect? Then, I think with palladia it’s a 30/40% or something like that of some sort of GIFs, vomiting or diarrhea. These types of thing and there are more rare and more serious one as well that you can find. It is important that as a guardian if you don’t understand exactly what that means? Dr. Ettinger operates in the area of chemotherapy and as such for her it could be that seeing a dog who’s vomiting it would be more routine because that’s something that does come out from time to time. But as a guardian, one of the duties is to ask yourself, “Ok… am I prepared for this”? As long as you’ve prepared yourself for what’s going, then at that point you can make a decision. But, always ask. Ask, ask, ask. Get the data that you need.
James Jacobson: Ok. I guess final question Dr. Ettinger I’ll throw this to you. What’s the price tag for Palladia?
Dr. Susan Ettinger: Well, that probably will depend a little bit on what part of the country you’re in. But, in general for about a 70 pound dog who’s on the medication either 3 times a week or every other day. Just for their drug itself, you’re probably looking at about 500 dollars per month. So, I have to say in this spectrum of some of the other injectable drugs, it’s pretty, moderately priced, but moderately priced. It’s not one of the most expensive drugs that we have.
James Jacobson: Ok. Dr. Ettinger of New York, Dr. Dressler in Hawaii, thank you so much for being with us. More information, a lot more information on Palladia and all sorts of different cancer treatments both chemotherapy and natural in The Dog Cancer Survival Guide. Thank you both.
Dr. Demian Dressler & Dr. Susan Ettinger: Thank you.
