Breakthrough GLP-1 implant promises major weight-loss benefits for pets

The world’s first GLP-1 weight loss treatment is being administered for pets on an experimental basis.

The first cat was successfully dosed in the MEOW-1 study of OKV-119 – an investigational “ultra-long acting” GLP-1 implant, which, according to a press release, is being developed for weight management in cats.

OKAVA Pharmaceuticals, the San Francisco-based manufacturer of the medication, said the landmark clinical study of the “first-in-class” device could have “profound” implications for diabetes, kidney disease, healthy aging and longevity in pets.

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The implant allows for continuous delivery of a GLP-1 receptor agonist, improving cardio-metabolic health and potentially “enhancing quality of life” while extending it, according to the release.

Once it is available, the single implant may be administered during a routine visit to a cat’s veterinarian, with guaranteed delivery of the medication for up to six months.

The OKV-119 implant guarantees administration of the drug for six months. (iStock)

The MEOW-1 trial marks the first of its kind for clinical investigation of weight loss in cats and dogs, following the breakthrough of GLP-1 use in humans for the management of obesity and diabetes.

OKAVA CEO Michael Klotsman, Ph.D., wrote in a statement that caloric restriction, or fasting, is “one of the most well-established interventions for extending lifespan and improving metabolic health in cats.”

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“But it’s also one of the hardest to maintain,” he said. “OKV-119 is designed to mimic many of the physiological effects of fasting — improved insulin sensitivity, reduced fat mass and more efficient energy metabolism — without requiring significant changes in feeding routines or disruption of the human-animal bond that often centers around food.”

Future research will consider weight management in dogs, the researchers said. (iStock)

The MEOW-1 study aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of the weight-loss medication in overweight or obese cats. The results will guide future clinical development, as well as a similar study in dogs, according to the researchers.

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Dr. W. Chris Hummel, a veterinarian at Lovet Pet Health Care in Phoenix, Arizona, who was not involved in the study, confirmed that several GLP-1 drugs are under investigation in domestic animals.

A GLP-1 treatment for cats does not require changes in feeding that may disrupt human-animal bonding, the researchers stated. (iStock)

“Preliminary evidence suggests that GLP-1 and GLP-like drugs can be effective alternative therapies for diabetes mellitus, otherwise known as sugar diabetes,” he told Fox News Digital. “Diabetes mellitus is one of the fastest-growing diseases in cats and dogs, largely on the heels of the pet obesity epidemic.”

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“The medications are given by injection, so long-acting combinations are currently being investigated for efficacy and duration,” Hummel added. “The data is still early, but promising.”