What TheraJan Is
TheraJan is the commercial name of the canine cancer vaccine developed by Dr. Mark Mamula at the Yale School of Medicine. The vaccine targets two proteins — EGFR and HER2 — that are overexpressed in several canine cancers, including hemangiosarcoma, osteosarcoma, and transitional cell carcinoma.
Unlike single-agent therapies, TheraJan stimulates a polyclonal immune response — training multiple types of immune cells simultaneously to identify and attack cancer cells. This broader response reduces the likelihood of resistance and is more comprehensive than single-targeted therapies.
What the Trials Have Shown
Trial data published to date show:
- Approximately 60% 12-month survival across all trial cancers — versus ~35% without the vaccine
- Over 600 canine patients enrolled to date across 12 sites in the US and Canada
- No significant changes in energy, appetite, or activity reported as side effects — in contrast to chemotherapy
Why This Page Exists
Our dog Elmo received surgery, chemotherapy, and the TheraJan trial. He survived twenty-two months. The standard prognosis for his condition (hemangiosarcoma) with surgery and chemotherapy alone is four to six months.
We will never know with certainty what extended his life. We know we had twenty-two months we should not have had. This page exists so that the next family hearing the word "cancer" knows that the option exists.
How to Access the Trial
- Clinical trials are currently enrolling dogs with osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and transitional cell carcinoma
- Trials are conducted at 11 sites across the United States and one in Canada
- Ask your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary oncologist who is aware of the trial
- Visit TheraJan.com for current enrollment information, participating sites, and FDA approval updates
- Ask at the first oncology appointment, before treatment decisions are finalized — some protocols work best begun alongside conventional treatment
With Profound Gratitude
Dr. Mamula — you gave us Elmo's extra time. We cannot put a number on what those months meant, but twenty-two of them, against a prognosis of one to three, is not a statistic. It is a gift. Your work in canine cancer immunotherapy is changing the equation for families who have been told there is no more to be done. We know firsthand that there is. Thank you for dedicating your science, your heart, and your career to giving dogs — and the people who love them — more time together.
Updates and Notifications
FDA approval status, new trial sites, and new published data will be posted on this page as they become available. If you would like to be notified when TheraJan receives FDA approval, subscribe to the Living With Schnauzers newsletter — we will email you the moment the announcement is made.