Photo of a male veterinarian (Henrik Rönnberg, SLU) sitting next to a dog on the examination table at a veterinary clinic.
RESEARCH PROJECT

The Hunt for the Magic Bullet 2.0 – A New Precision Treatment for Cancer in Dogs

Updated: May 2026

Project overview

The official name of the project:
Silver Bullet 2.0: Comparative One-Health Precision Program with Home-Based OXC-101 in Canine Cancer
Project start: September 2026 Ending: August 2030
Project manager: Henrik Ronnberg
Contact: Henrik Ronnberg
Funded by: FORMAS – The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning

Participants

Project members:

Global goals

  • 3. Good health and well-being
  • 9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure
  • 10. Reduced inequalities

Short summary

The project is evaluating OXC-101, a new oral cancer treatment for dogs with lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mammary tumors. The goal is to develop a gentler, more targeted treatment to be administered at home, while also identifying biomarkers that can advance veterinary and human cancer research.

Background

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in dogs and poses a major welfare issue. Current treatments often involve intravenous chemotherapy at veterinary hospitals, which can cause significant side effects and require repeated visits. At the same time, we know that spontaneously occurring tumors in dogs often resemble human cancer more closely than many laboratory models, making dogs important in comparative oncology and One Health research as well.

Aim

The project will evaluate OXC-101 (karonudib), a new oral drug candidate for cancer, in dogs with three severe tumor diseases: lymphoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mammary tumors. We want to investigate whether the treatment can become a safer and more targeted alternative that can be administered at home, offering a better quality of life for both the dog and the owner.

Goals

The goal is to study both the safety and clinical efficacy of the treatment and to link tumor tissue and blood-based biomarkers to treatment response and resistance. In this way, we aim to identify which patients benefit most from the treatment and lay the groundwork for more personalized cancer treatment in veterinary medicine. The project also has a clear translational ambition, where the results can contribute to improved study design and biomarkers in human oncology as well.  

Collaborations

In addition to participating researchers from SLU, the project group also includes the following:

  • Thomas Helleday, Karolinska Institutet
  • Kumar Sanjiv, Djuriverse Veterinary Clinic

as well as biostatistical expertise associated with the project at SLU

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