Pelara Launches Its First U.S. Veterinary Clinical Trials of Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound

Partnership with Openwater and SecureDX targets chronic pain in dogs, cats, and horses: a $2B+ global undertreated market.

SAN ANTONIO, TX, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pelara Inc., a Califronia and Texas-based animal health therapeutics company, today announced the launch of its first clinical trials, in partnership with Openwater and SecureDX, to bring Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU) to the commercial veterinary market. The trials will focus initially on chronic pain management in dogs, cats, and horses, and will generate the species-specific clinical evidence needed to deploy LIFU across U.S. veterinary practices.

Chronic pain is one of the most common yet undertreated conditions in companion animal medicine. Published estimates suggest that 20 to 35% of dogs seen in primary care practice show signs of clinically significant chronic pain. Osteoarthritis alone affects roughly 20% of dogs over one year of age, climbing to as much as 80% in dogs over eight. Today’s standard treatments, including NSAIDs, gabapentinoids, and opioids, carry documented risks such as gastrointestinal toxicity, hepatotoxicity, and renal strain. They also often deliver limited efficacy over time. Pelara's LIFU program takes a different approach, using focused neuromodulation and localized musculoskeletal therapy, without systemic drug exposure.

Existing device-based therapies face their own limitations. Procedures like radiofrequency ablation and surgical nerve blocks are invasive and typically require sedation. Less invasive options such as therapeutic laser avoid sedation but lack the depth and targeting precision needed to reach specific neural and musculoskeletal structures, limiting their use across the range of chronic pain conditions seen in practice. LIFU delivers targeted, non-invasive therapy with a level of precision and versatility that existing modalities have not been able to offer, enabling treatment of a broader range of conditions, without surgery, sedation, or systemic drug exposure.

“The veterinary market is a high-need, underserved space where LIFU can deliver meaningful impact. Every animal that finds relief is proof that precision medicine can be accessible to the patients who need it most. We're proud to advance this work with Pelara, whose veterinary expertise and commercial discipline can turn that potential into practice. SecureDX brings the diagnostic and data infrastructure to do it rigorously."
Aaron Timm, CEO, Openwater

What Is LIFU?
Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU) uses precisely targeted acoustic energy to modulate pain pathways at the neural level, without invasive procedures, thermal effects, or sedation. Unlike High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU), which destroys tissue through heat, LIFU operates well below the threshold for thermal damage, making it well-suited for repeated therapeutic use in companion animals. Because LIFU acts mechanically rather than thermally or pharmacologically, it represents a fundamentally different category of pain therapy.

Grounded in Emerging Science
LIFU’s clinical potential is supported by an expanding base of preclinical and translational research on focused ultrasound neuromodulation, musculoskeletal tissue effects, and non-invasive pain modulation. Pelara’s program is designed to generate the species-specific evidence required to move this technology to routine veterinary practice.

“Chronic pain is one of the most undertreated conditions in veterinary medicine. The animals suffering from chronic pain deserve a solution that works through targeted neuromodulation and localized musculoskeletal therapy, not just medications that mask symptoms while putting their organs at risk. LIFU offers that solution. The underlying science is strong. The technology is ready. And every veterinarian who believes their patients deserve better now has a partner.”
Justin Jones, CEO, Pelara

About Pelara Inc.
Pelara Inc. is an animal health company based in San Antonio, Texas, dedicated to bringing advanced therapeutic technologies to the veterinary market. Through a disciplined evidence-generation strategy and its clinical partnership with Openwater and SecureDX, Pelara is pioneering the commercial deployment of LIFU technology for companion animal care. Pelara’s mission is to make animal health therapeutics more effective, more accessible, and more trusted, by combining established science with innovative technology and a clear focus on animal welfare.

About Openwater
Openwater is a San Francisco, California-based medical technology company founded by Dr. Mary Lou Jepsen to make advanced diagnostics and therapies universally accessible. Openwater's LIFU platform delivers millimeter-scale targeting precision across a wide range of anatomical targets without surgery, sedation, or mechanical trauma, making hospital-grade therapy accessible across both human and veterinary care. Openwater's LIFU technology is in active use at research institutions worldwide, supporting clinical studies across a range of therapeutic indications.

About SecureDX
SecureDX specializes in animal diagnostics, laboratory integration, and surveillance technologies for livestock and veterinary applications. Based in Texas, the company develops molecular diagnostic assays, laboratory management systems, and data integration platforms that support animal health surveillance networks. Through partnership with Panacea, SecureDX delivers diagnostic solutions to veterinary laboratories, university research facilities, animal health agencies, and livestock operations across the United States.

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