Drug that prolongs the lives of big dogs gets closer to reality

In early studies, Loyal administered its experimental drug to 130 research dogs. Halioua says the company has shown it can reduce IGF-1 levels in large dogs to those seen in medium-sized dogs. Two dogs had loose stools for a day or two after receiving the injection, but beyond that, Halioua says, no major side effects were observed.

To determine the drug’s effect on lifespan, the company plans a larger study that will begin in 2024 or 2025 and enroll approximately 1,000 large and giant breed pet dogs at least 7 years old. Everyone will receive either the experimental drug or a placebo.

Halioua says the company aims to bring its drug to market by 2026. But first, Loyal still needs to prove to the FDA – which regulates drugs for human and veterinary use – that the injection is safe and that the drug can be reliably manufactured. At this point, the FDA may grant conditional approval, a temporary authorization that lasts five years and allows the drug to be sold by prescription. During this time, Loyal will collect effectiveness data and seek full approval.

Loyal is also working on two other drugs: a pill version for large and giant dog breeds, and a pill for older dogs of all breeds.

Danika Bannasch, a veterinary geneticist at the University of California, Davis, who specializes in canine genetics, says IGF-1 is only one factor associated with dog size and longevity. “As for targeting him, I think it’s a little premature. We know that small breed dogs live longer than large breed dogs, but we don’t know how much of this is due to the influence of IGF-1,” she says.

In a study published last month, Bannasch and colleagues identified another possible factor in dog longevity, a gene called ERBB4. Studying more than 300 golden retrievers, they compared DNA from blood samples from dogs still alive at 14 years old to those who died before the age of 12. They found that dogs with certain gene variants survived longer, on average 13.5 years versus 11.6 years. Bannasch cautions that the work was conducted on a single breed and it’s unclear whether these variants are associated with longer lives in other types of dogs.

THE ERBB4 the gene is the canine version of ELLE4a human gene closely related to ELLE2, which is associated with cancer. The study of the canine gene could have implications for human health. Researchers are also testing new cancer treatments in dogs in the hope that these therapies could help humans.

Giving an experimental drug to healthy dogs is different from treating sick dogs. Bannasch says Loyal’s drug will have to clear a high safety bar for owners to be comfortable giving it to their pets. She also thinks a drug should have an extended shelf life of more than a few months before people want to buy it for their dogs. “As a pet owner, I think anything that lasts more than a year would be great. I think people would really be interested in that,” she says.

Linda Rhodes says humans owe it to dogs to make up for the genetic woes they’ve inherited due to hundreds of years of breeding. “We have bred dogs to have problems because we want them to look a certain way or act a certain way,” she says. “It’s our responsibility to figure out how we can help.” »