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New screening test vets dogs for cancer.
Cancer is the No. 1 leading cause of death in dogs—and, in most cases, late diagnosis is to blame. Enter Oncotect, a Raleigh-based biotech business pioneering early screening of canine cancer risks.
Founded by CEO Chan Namgong, the screening test is the recipient of the 2022 NC IDEA MICRO and SEED Grants—one of only three companies awarded both grants in the same year. Inspired by his mom’s early breast cancer diagnosis, Namgong started working on the test 2 1/2 years ago.
Now, Oncotect (formerly known as Animal Cancer Dx) is available at 30 animal hospitals throughout the Triangle and counting. And Namgong, who also serves on the board of the SPCA of Wake County, is hoping to launch a direct-to-consumer option later this year so pet parents can order a testing kit, collect a urine sample at home and send it to Oncotect’s lab to test.
The test reports whether your pooch has low, moderate or high risk of developing cancer. If high, Namgong recommends scheduling a diagnostic test with your vet. For healthy dogs, he encourages annual noninvasive screening starting at age 7—with those higher-risk (typically larger breeds like boxers and goldens) starting at 5 or 6.
Namgong has spoken to many animal specialists and pet owners. “Veterinarians need a tool to easily screen for cancer in pets… and pet owners want to protect their dogs,” he says. “Many owners have lost their dog to cancer, and they all say they wish they’d known sooner so they could provide a better quality of life.”
While treating cancer is an expensive endeavor, Oncotect’s screening test costs only $99–$199 (competitors’ tests run ~$1,000), and the accuracy is 82% true positive and 96% true negative to boot.
“Our mission is to make our test accurate, but also make it simple and accessible to as many pet owners as possible,” says Namgong. “Many dogs get diagnosed too late and they die because of it. Our test allows owners to screen and catch cancer in their pets early.” animalcancerdx.com
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