Saying goodbye to the family dog can be one of life’s saddest moments – but scientists have developed a drug that could give you more time with your four–legged friend.
A startup company based in San Francisco is developing a daily chewable pill for older dogs that they hope will extend your pooch’s lifespan by at least a year.
It works by targeting metabolic dysfunction – one of the most prolific drivers of ageing that plays a role in the development of arthritis, cancer and cognitive impairment.
The drug, called LOY–002, mimics the beneficial effects of calorie restriction without having to put your senior pooch on a strict diet.
Across the US, more than 1,300 dogs have already been enrolled across 72 veterinary clinics as part of the study, aptly named ‘STAY’.
‘We’re putting them on either the drug or a placebo, and monitoring them incredibly closely, collecting just a mountain of really interesting data,’ Dr Brennan McKenzie, director of veterinary medicine at biotech company Loyal, told Fortune.
‘At the end of that, we will hopefully see that the dogs on the drug are living longer, they have less frailty, they have a better quality of life, hopefully they have less age–related disease.’
And if it works in dogs, it could give hope for a similar drug for humans as well.
The study has recruited more than 1,000 dogs across the US including Rowdy, Baylor and Peanut (pictured)
The drug, called LOY–002, mimics the beneficial effects of calorie restriction without having to put your senior pooch on a strict diet. Pictured: The LOY–001 drug used in an earlier part of the study
The team behind the pill said they want owners to be able to take a proactive approach while their dog is healthy, rather than waiting for ageing to damage the dog’s health and then reacting to diseases that occur.
The study, which is now two and a half years in, is expected to run for a minimum of four years.
But the company has already reached a milestone moment – getting safety approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
This means that the pill could potentially become available before the study even concludes, if a final approval hurdle is cleared.
‘The FDA recognizes that studies like this are long,’ Dr McKenzie said. ‘They take years and years to run.
‘In the meantime, there is no drug that solves this problem. There’s nothing available to try to target ageing and help dogs live longer.
‘So if we can show that it’s safe and that it’s likely to work, we can bring it to dog owners and veterinarians sooner.’
The study has been designed to detect at least a one–year difference between the dogs given the treatment and those who received a placebo. The company has previously said they would hope to keep treatment to under $100 (£74) per month.
The drug works by targeting metabolic dysfunction – one of the most prolific drivers of ageing that plays a role in the development of arthritis, cancer and cognitive impairment
Boo, a Whippet, was the first dog dosed in the STAY study at the age of 11. The study has been designed to detect at least a one–year difference between the dogs given the treatment and those who received a placebo
For some dogs, this could represent nearly a 10 per cent increase in their overall lifespan.
However Dr McKenzie cautioned that they simply hope to show that, overall, the drug can help dogs live longer.
‘As a vet in general practice, I am privileged to be a part of my patients’ lives through all stages – from puppyhood to their senior years,’ he said.
‘Seeing these older pets, though, can be bittersweet because I also see the limits that ageing has begun putting on their lives.
‘All too often, they are moving slower and less easily and doing less of the things they enjoy – walking in the neighbourhood, chasing a ball or even just jumping up on the couch to cuddle with their humans.’
He explained that having a way to extend a dog’s ‘best years’ and delay the challenges they face with ageing will fill a ‘huge gap in our capacity to help dogs and their owners’.
If the FDA approves the drug, it will be the first time any anti–ageing drug has been given the go–ahead for any species.
It could then pave the way for better preventive medicine for humans as well.
On average a medium–sized dog has a life expectancy of between 10 and 13 years old.
However, in some cases, dogs can live significantly longer than this – with some living past the age of 20.
Simple steps owners can take to boost your dog’s life expectancy, according to Purina, include giving them a healthy diet and taking them to the vet regularly.
Daily walks and time spent playing also helps your dog maintain a healthy weight, builds up their energy and supports a strong heart and immune system.