Ready-made stem cell therapies for pets could be coming

Earlier this week, San Diego startup Gallant announced $18 million in funding to bring the first FDA-approved ready-to-use stem cell therapy to veterinary medicine. If it passes regulatory muster, it could create a whole new way to treat our fur babies.

It’s still an experimental field, even though people have been researching stem cells for humans for decades. Seven-year-old Gallant’s first target is a painful mouth condition in cats called Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis (FCGS), which Gallant says could receive FDA approval by early 2026.

The field has shown some encouraging early results. Studies on dogs with arthritis showed improvements in pain and mobility, with some benefits lasting up to two years. But when researchers tried similar treatments for kidney disease in cats — that’s another condition Gallant wants to tackle — the results were more mixed.

What makes Gallant’s approach different is convenience. Most stem cell treatments today require harvesting cells from the patient or donors with matching tissue, whereas Gallant’s therapy uses ready-to-use cells from donor animals, even if they are a different species.

Investors clearly see potential here. The funding round was led by existing backer Digitalis Ventures, with participation from NovaQuest Capital Management, which previously invested in the first FDA-approved human stem cell therapy.

The company has an interesting backstory. Gallant’s founder, Aaron Hirschhorn, previously sold DogVacay to its biggest rival in the dog-sitting marketplace, Rover. Hirschhorn passed away in 2021; Gallant is now led by Linda Black, who joined as its president and chief scientific officer from nearly the beginning. Gallant has now raised at least $44 million altogether from investors.