Updated indications for use of Stelfonta

Virbac has announced that the VMD has updated the indications for Stelfonta.

The indications for the mast cell tumour treatment have been updated to the following:

For the treatment of non-metastatic (WHO staging) mast cell tumours that are either non-resectable or those that are resectable, but where surgery is not considered the best option, specifically:

• Cutaneous mast cell tumours (located anywhere on the dog)
• Subcutaneous mast cell tumours located at or distal to the elbow or the hock.

Intratumoral injection

Tumours must be less than or equal to 8cm³ in volume, and must be accessible to intratumoral injection.

Neil Mottram, technical manager at Virbac.“The extended labelled indication demonstrates the wide variety of cases that can benefit where medical treatment is preferred, such as; tumour factors (location and size) making surgical margins difficult, patient factors (concurrent disease and risk of anaesthesia), clinic factors and the simplification of this medical treatment and owner factors, where there is a preference to avoid surgery.”

Active ingredient

Stelfonta is administered by injection directly into the tumour mass and generally, dogs do not require sedation or local or general anaesthesia during treatment.

The active ingredient, tigilanol tiglate, works largely through specific protein kinase c (PKC) activation, in which it locally stimulates the immune system, resulting in destruction of the tumour and the tumour’s blood supply, followed by rapid healing of the site with minimal scarring.