Friends fur-ever: Can this new drug help your big dog live longer?
Global News
LOY-001, a drug being developed by a San Francisco based biotech company, aims to extend the lifespan of large dogs and maintain their quality of life as they age.
Experts believe there is an inversely proportional relationship between a dog’s size and its life span, but a San Francisco-based biotech company is conducting research that may allow you to spend a few more years with your big, furry best friend.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Centre for Veterinary Medicine approved the biotech firm Loyal’s conditional approval application for LOY-001, a drug the company is developing with the intent of extending the lifespan of large dogs and maintaining their quality of life as they age.
The company said its way is a shift in approach. Instead of treating specific diseases in big dogs, it is aiming to slow down the process of aging. The drug focuses on lowering the concentration of a growth hormone called IGF-1, which is associated with faster aging and lower lifespan among some large and giant dog breeds.
“Loyal was founded with the ambitious goal of developing the first drugs to extend healthy lifespan in dogs,” said Loyal CEO Celine Halioua. “This milestone is the result of years of careful work by the team. We’ll continue to work just as diligently to bring this and our other longevity programs through to FDA approval.”
The company said in a press release, “Selectively breeding dogs for size is understood to cause elevated levels of the growth-promoting hormone IGF-1, and this is believed to reduce their lifespan. Large dogs have up to 28x the levels of IGF-1 as small dogs. LOY-001 works by reducing IGF-1 in adult dogs to increase lifespan.”
Speaking to Global News, Halioua said, “The thesis of this drug is that big dogs have a genetically associated disease that causes them to age at a faster rate and die sooner. So, the drug is trying to compensate for that a little bit.”
She said the drug isn’t just focused on increasing lifespan, but also quality of life for dogs. “We’re trying to extend out the number of healthy years. The dog should live longer and healthier relative to what they would have without the drug.”
On Tuesday, the FDA gave Loyal an accelerated pathway to conducting research. This conditional approval will last five years, in which time the company will have to prove the effectiveness of the drug. The company said the drug is expected to be available in 2026, subject to FDA approval.
