Cat Owners Explore GLP-1s as Weight-loss Option, Following Human Trend
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK,โ NC โ-โฃ As the human โฃdemand for drugs โฃlike ozempic and Wegovy surges, veterinary medicine is now seeing a โparallel interest in GLP-1 agonists for overweight cats. Several companies areโ actively developing andโค testing thes โmedications, designed โto mimic the effects of fasting – improved insulin sensitivity, reduced โคfat mass, and more efficient energy metabolism – without altering feeding routines.
The rising prevalence โคof feline obesity, linked to a host of health problems, is driving the push forโ new treatment options. Approximately โข60% of cats in the U.S.are considered overweight or obese, according โฃto the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. GLP-1 agonists offer a perhaps impactful โคsolution, butโ are stillโค undergoing rigorous testing to ensure safety and efficacy inโ animals.
Okava, a biotechnology company, โis currently conducting a clinical trial for its GLP-1 โcandidate, OKV-119, under an FDA-CVM Investigational New Animal Drug (INAD) application. “OKV-119 is designed โto mimicโ many of the physiological effects of fasting – improved insulin sensitivity, reduced fat mass,โฃ and more efficient energy โขmetabolism – without requiring significant changes โin feeding routines or disrupting the human-animal bond that frequently enough centers around food,” said Okava CEO, Dr. Chadโฃ Klotsman. the โcompany believes OKV-119 “has the potential to become the most impactful life-extending therapy availableโฃ for cats.” Initial proof-of-conceptโข studies have shownโ weight loss and no implant site reactions.
Okava isn’t alone in this pursuit. Akstonโ Bio recently announced a clinical trial testing its cat โคGLP-1 drug on at least 70 cats at the Cornell University Collegeโข of Veterinary โMedicine. Akston’s formulation is aโ weekly injection, and โฃthe โcompany is also exploring GLP-1 applicationsโ for dogs.
