Many dog owners would immediately sign up to have their beloved four-legged friend by their side for longer. A new drug has been developed in America that brings this possibility one step closer.
It’s a sentiment shared by many dog owners that the average decade with their faithful pet is far too short. But that time is about to be extended thanks to a new experimental drug that could add at least an extra year to a dog’s life.
According to the FDA, the U.S. government agency that monitors the quality of food and drugs, the drug LOY-001 has a “beneficial effect” on increasing longevity for larger dogs. “The reason large breed dogs live shorter lives than small breed dogs has to do with the intensive breeding we do to get them big,” veterinarian Brennan McKenzie told CBS News. “Some of the hormones and other mechanisms that help them grow large also unfortunately cause them to age faster.”
An American startup has been working on the drug for four years and hopes to eventually give dogs a number of extra good years once the drug is ready for healthy dogs. But for now, the company claims the drug can extend life by at least a year. The drug is still in the experimental phase, but has already been given the green light by the FDA for further testing.
How exactly does the medicine work?
LOY-001 focuses on the aging process in dogs. “The new drug inhibits the action of the hormone IGF-1,” Mathias Devreese, professor of animal pharmacology at Ghent University, tells RTL News. “That hormone also ensures that cells divide. The larger the dog, the more of it hormone IGF-1 occurs in the animal. By inhibiting the hormone and therefore cell division, it also slows down the aging process. To be clear: this medicine is only effective at slowing down cell division and aging, so it does not make your dog healthier .” LOY-001 would only work in large dogs, because the metabolism of small dogs works differently.
When will it be ready?
In a first for the industry, the FDA agreed that the drug has enough evidence to effectively extend the life of dogs. It is not intended for use at the end of a dog’s life. “Of course we want our dogs to live longer,” veterinarian McKenzie told CBS News. “But what we really want is for them to stay healthy for as long as possible. And that, more than anything, is the focus of what we’re trying to achieve.”
The company hopes to receive full FDA approval in 2025 and have it ready for distribution as quickly and safely as possible. American media report that if the result is positive, a first version of the drug may be marketed from 2026.
Serious steps have already been taken in America, but in Europe different rules apply than with the American FDA. It remains to be seen when and whether the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will approve the drug.
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