It's hard to find someone whose life hasn't been touched by cancer. Among pet owners, it's even harder. In fact, one in four dogs will die of cancer, the No. 1 cause of death for man's best friend. Existing cancer treatment for dogs and cats are palliative, producing only a small extension of life and unable to stem the pain and suffering that result from amputations and chemotherapy for both pet and owner.

Enter MBF Therapeutics, a development-stage veterinary oncology company striving to advance the standard of cancer care for companion animals. The company, founded by industry veteran Tom Tillet in 2008, has in-licensed two advanced-stage products and assembled an experienced managment team aiming for rapid commercialization.

The company's portfolio of products, which has already attracted healthy interest from angel investors, consists of targeted gene-based and small molecule products that disrupt tumor cell metabolism and/or modulate immune function. Tillet in-licensed the two advanced-stage products from the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research in Wynnewood on suburban Philadelphia's Main Line.

Tillet started his career with a 28-year run with international chemical outfit Rohm & Haas, with whom he served in several managerial roles and helped spin out biotech company RheoGene in 2003.  When Tillet was CEO of RheoGene, he oversaw a merger with Intrexon in 2007 and also received a $4.3 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for development of a novel therapeutic for Parkinson's disease, the largest single grant ever awarded by the foundation.

Last fall, MBF Therapeutics was named one of the Top 50 Emerging Companies in Funding Post's sixth annual  Pitch Across America campaign. With Tillet's track record and a potential global market worth a half-billion dollars, the company appears well positioned for a rapid ascent and major impact on pets and their owners.