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The GLP-1 craze may be coming for Fido and Fluffy next. Two U.S. biotech companies are testing weight-loss treatments for overweight cats, opening the door to a potential new era of prescription obesity medicine for animals.
According to CNBC, Akston Biosciences is backing a Cornell University clinical trial of a once-weekly GLP-1 treatment involving about 70 overweight or obese cats. OKAVA Pharmaceuticals is taking a different approach with MEOW-1, a trial involving an implant designed to release medication for up to six months.
Both companies expect initial results later this year, but the products would still need to clear additional safety and effectiveness hurdles before veterinarians could prescribe them.
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The market is not exactly small. In 2022, veterinary professionals classified 61 percent of cats and 59 percent of dogs they evaluated as overweight or obese. Those extra pounds can shorten an animal's life and increase strain on its joints and heart.
Unlike dogs, cats are particularly tough customers - longer walks are rarely a practical option, diet changes can be difficult and daily medication may turn into a full-contact sport.
"Feline obesity is one of the most common yet least effectively treated health issues in veterinary medicine," Akston CEO Todd Zion said when the company announced its trial.
Like the medications used by humans, the experimental pet treatments are designed to regulate appetite by mimicking natural hormones that slow digestion and signal fullness.
Human GLP-1 drugs have produced average weight reductions of 15 to 25 percent, though nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight regain after stopping treatment remain known concerns.
The pet trials arrive as GLP-1 use explodes among people. 11 percent of U.S. adults reportedly now take the drugs for weight loss, while 18 percent have used one for weight loss, diabetes or another condition at some point.
The medications have also expanded into treatments for sleep apnea, fatty liver disease and cardiovascular risk. Delivery methods now include weekly injections and daily pills.
Pets could become the industry's next frontier - but the price will matter. U.S. pet spending is projected to jump from roughly $196 billion in 2025 to more than $240 billion by 2030 as owners pour money into premium food, supplements, diagnostics and advanced veterinary care.
Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman described the shift as an "expansion from premiumization into medicalization," while warning that pet GLP-1s may not replicate the human market's success.
