Torigen

The business model centers on providing an experimental autologous cancer vaccine, known as VetiVax, directly to veterinarians. The process involves a veterinarian surgically removing a pet's tumor and sending the fresh or frozen tissue to Torigen's lab in Farmington, Connecticut. Torigen's team then creates a personalized vaccine from the patient's own deactivated tumor cells, combined with a proprietary adjuvant to stimulate the immune system. This treatment is administered by the veterinarian in three subcutaneous injections over three weeks. This approach serves as a less expensive alternative to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. Revenue is generated from the production of these personalized vaccines for its client base of veterinary clinics. Initially, the company considered a kit for in-clinic vaccine production but pivoted to a centralized manufacturing model to ensure quality control.

Torigen's primary product is a personalized prescription immunotherapy that uses a patient's own tumor tissue to create a vaccine. This whole-tumor approach includes a wide array of tumor-associated antigens specific to the individual animal, creating a unique antigenic "fingerprint" to help the patient's immune system target and fight the cancer. The service is available for most solid tumors in species including dogs, cats, and horses. Beyond its core vaccine, Torigen has expanded its services to include the Torigen Specialty Pathology Service, which leverages digital pathology to provide rapid and precise diagnoses, bridging the gap between diagnostics and treatment. The company is also exploring new technologies to address other immune-mediated diseases in animals, such as atopic dermatitis.