York-based international firm Animalcare Group plc said it has acquired the VHH NGF programme and related assets under a licence agreement previously signed with Orthros Medical in March 2022, which has subsequently been terminated, for a cash consideration of €700,000.

“The current VHH NGF programme is researching the effectiveness of antibodies in the treatment of pain caused by osteoarthritis in horses and dogs,” said Animalcare.

“The assets under development could be complementary to Daxocox, the Group’s COX-2 inhibitor approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis-related pain in dogs.

“In the future, as a consequence of Animalcare now owning the assets, additional programmes will be explored across a variety of species and different diseases where NGF has a role …”

Animalcare Group CEO Jenny Winter said: “The acquisition of the VHH NGF programme and new partnership with 272Bio represent key building blocks in our long-term growth strategy, developing a pipeline of innovative new treatments to meet evolving customer needs within the growing global animal health market.

“Working with 272Bio, we have an exciting opportunity to build our future pain portfolio while exploring further potential opportunities with VHH technology in animals.”