Surgeries to remove healthy reproductive organs are often a time drain for veterinarians and farmers. In the latter case, the process also causes animal suffering and economic loss, especially in the case of pig farmers who have to manually castrate piglets. A new non-surgical sterilant, developed by CheMyong Jay Ko (EIRH), a reproductive endocrinologist, and his group could change how animals are sterilized.

Ko began exploring nonsurgical methods shortly after joining the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2011. His work was aimed at developing more lifesaving or health-restoring work while also sparing animals from unnecessary surgical procedures.

His breakthrough came from his and his colleagues’ studies showing that repetitive doses of estradiol benzoate, a synthetic estrogen, to newborn rodents disrupted their reproductive organ development. Ko explained that newborn animals have non-functional reproductive systems during a critical early developmental window when hormone levels are naturally low. Introducing estrogen at this time prevents development of reproductive organs and their sex behaviors.

In 2016, Ko founded Epivara to commercialize this discovery. The company’s name reflects its goal of creating an “epic change” in sterilization methods. Epivara’s technology is distinguished by its innovative idea of dosing endogenous hormone(s) during a specific developmental window of time and the unique delivery method of hormone(s). In dogs and cats, biodegradable microspheres or pellets containing the hormone are injected under the skin via a standard medical needle. These sterilization products—called iSpay and iNeuter—treat females and males, respectively.

For male pigs, Epivara developed iNeuter-S, which delivers hormones through a biodegradable pellet injected under the skin. iNeuter-S could replace surgical castration in boars, the current standard procedure used for preventing “boar-taint.”
 

These products work by preventing the development of reproductive organs without affecting the animals’ overall growth. “Without functioning ovaries or testes, animals have no or significantly less sex drive,” Ko notes, “which helps reduce problematic behaviors in pets and farm animals.”

Epivara has patented this technology for use in multiple species in the U.S. and Europe, including dogs, cats, and boars. The company is currently in discussions with the FDA and USDA, with hopes that their canine and swine sterilization products will advance quickly in gaining regulatory approval. However, Ko expects challenges to come. Bringing a new drug to market is a complex process, and he estimates that it will take around $25 million to achieve full regulatory approval, just for the swine product. He estimates a similar amount of money for gaining approval for the canine product.

Promisingly, his team has received three small business innovation research grants for testing their products in the dogs, pigs, and cats. These grants are from the National Science Foundation (dogs and cats) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (pigs). His team has also raised $6 million from private investors and venture capitalists. “The science behind this is very strong,” he said, noting the multiple NSF and USDA grants awarded to the company as evidence of its credibility.

Ko believes these innovations will not only transform veterinary practice and animal agriculture but also enhance the careers of future veterinarians. “I take great joy in the possibility that these products will improve the lives of both people and animals,” he said.