Elita is building Australia’s first stem cell bank for pets

It’s no secret that Australians love their animals. Some 69% of Australia’s households currently own at least one pet, and they don’t compromise when it comes to their comfort – or health.

Surveys show that Australians now spend an average of $826 each year on vet services, with Gen Z owners spending as much as $1184 to make sure their ‘fur babies’ are well cared for.

Most Australians would also pay to save their pets from being put down, with 8 per cent prepared to fork out more than $10,000 on life saving treatment.

It is this kind of sentiment that led Melburnians Paloma Newton and Jackson Gritching to found Elita (formerly Elita Genetics), a pioneering pet health startup that allows pet owners (of only dogs for now) to bank stem cells retrieved from their pet’s desexing procedure.

“We met at a previous job at a self-driving car startup, got into a personal relationship and we got a dog,” Newton says. “It was during Covid so we had a lot of time, and as we are both into health particularly with Jackson’s background in biomedical engineering, we started doing research into our dog Edgar. When we learnt he was predisposed to osteoarthritis and hip and elbow dysplasia from a breed perspective, and went into a bit of a spiral”.

This ignited their fervent research into preventive pet healthcare, eventually leading to the couple asking their vet if they could store Edgar’s cells for future treatment.

“They would say, ‘That’s a great idea, but we can’t do it,’” Newton recalls. Despite stem cell therapy being established in the US and UK for animals for years, she realised a critical gap existed in Australia. This realisation, coupled with Jackson’s subsequent experience working with human stem cells, solidified their resolve.

“Jackson came home from his job… and he was like, ‘Look, not only do I have lab experience and understand stem cell science, but I’ve also realised what we want to do is so achievable. So, why don’t we just do it?’”

A proactive approach to pet care

Fast forward a few years, and Elita has become Australia’s first commercial stem cell bank dedicated to the storage of pets’ biological material. Pet owners register with Elita, and the company then liaises directly with their veterinarian. During a routine procedure, such as desexing or a dental clean, a small fat sample is collected from the pet through a minor incision, typically near the belly button.

While collecting the fat is simple and routine, turning that into stem cells isn’t a simple task.

“Fat tissue is not stem cells,” Paloma clarifies. “So, we do a bunch of work on our end to isolate their cells, quality assurance on their cells, test the potency of the stem cells… and then we freeze them in liquid nitrogen for when your pet needs them.”

These ‘autologous’ cells – the pet’s own cells – offer the optimal match, eliminating the rejection risks associated with donor cells often used in other regions.

At this point in time, Paloma says Elita’s stored stem cells can be deployed to treat prevalent conditions such as osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, and elbow dysplasia. Future applications, including wound healing, are also in development.

Unlike traditional reactive treatments that might involve costly surgeries or medications with undesirable side effects, stem cell therapy harnesses the body’s natural healing capabilities. The injected stem cells migrate to areas of distress, releasing growth factors and hormones that reduce inflammation and pain, facilitating natural recovery.

This proactive approach is particularly beneficial for pets, who often mask pain until conditions are severely advanced, Newton says.

“By the time a dog is exhibiting arthritis it’s usually quite progressed, because dogs are actually very stoic and don’t complain.”

“The problem is that by that stage, your options for treatment are pretty reactive, which often means drugs with awful side-effects, or surgery that’s incredibly invasive – and expensive,” she says.

More good years with man’s best friend

Elita’s ambitious long-term vision extends beyond current treatments, which is where investment from LaunchVic’s Alice Anderson Fund comes in. The capital will be strategically deployed across product development, team expansion and market penetration, Newton says.

“Having the kind of government funding arm on side is an incredible investment also into us as a company,” she notes, citing the invaluable “expertise, input, advice and connections” within LaunchVic’s extensive ecosystem.

“We want to build Australia’s first, maybe even the world’s first, longevity platform for our pets,” Newton says.

“The reality of the bank is actually way bigger than that,” she adds. “By having your pet’s biodata, we hope to help you make really informed decisions about their health to ensure that you get more good years with them.”

“That is our tagline, that is our goal: more good years with your best friend.”