A new drug could extend the lifespan of dogs.
A new drug could enable dogs to live longer
The San Francisco biotech company Loyal has received confirmation from the Food and Drug Administration for Veterinary Medicine that its LOY-001 drug has shown signs of "effectiveness".
The landmark decision has brought Loyal a step closer to allowing vets to start prescribing the drugs that allow man's best friend to live for at least a year longer.
LOY-001 is set to be launched in 2026 and targets a cellular mechanism in larger breeds of the four-legged animals - as they have a shorter lifespan than smaller canines.
Brennen McKenzie, Loyal's director of veterinary medicine, said: "The extreme phenotypic variety found in dogs is not 'natural' — it’s the result of intensive breeding by humans to create dogs that excelled at tasks such as herding, protection, and companionship.
"At Loyal, we see the short lifespan of big dogs not as inevitable, but as a genetically-associated disease caused by historical artificial selection, and therefore amenable to targeting and treatment with a drug."
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