Ever wish that you could make your dog’s life longer? While crossing the rainbow bridge is part of a dog’s short life, there’s a new drug being formulated called LOY-002 to extend the lifespan of our senior dogs.
Now for the big news, the drug LOY-002 has reached an important milestone: acceptance by the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine for the Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness last February 26. This means that the drug will likely be approved in the future under the conditional approval submitted by Loyal. This clinical-stage veterinary medicine company develops drugs to give dogs a longer and healthier life.
LOY-002 is a daily-flavored tablet developed for dogs aged 10 and older weighing at least 14 pounds. The drug aims to target metabolic dysfunction, which is the key mechanism for aging. Instead of treating diseases right after they appear, LOY-002 prevents common health problems that come with a senior dog’s age, so they can feel better and lead a healthier life. The drug aims to be a more convenient option than calorie restriction, which cuts down their food intake to live longer.
Thinking about the LOY-002, creating something to make our furry friends’ lives longer seems impossible. That is why the project needs a lot of funding. With this, the company announced that they have raised $22 million in a B-2 round from Valor Equity Partners and Collaborative Fund. This is alongside an addition to the company’s $45 million Series B in 2024, bringing a total of over $150 million in investment to Loyal’s project.
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Clinical Study For LOY-002
Loyal launched a nationwide 1,000-dog clinical trial back in February to get their conditional approval, and they would call the study STAY. This would let them sell the drug to veterinarians as early as 2025, way before they conclude the study. Of course, they would have to keep the study running while the drug is being sold for them to gather long-term data.
The first dog that they dosed is an 11-year-old Whippet named Boo. His owner, Deb Hanna, enrolled him at the Animal Hospital of Dauphin County (AHDC) located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where Dr. Cody Rudakewiz is the study investigator. Even at an age considered as senior, Boo still competes in a dog sport called scent work. That’s one of the reasons why his owner, Hanna, decided to enroll him in the clinical study. To her, it could help other dogs, including the younger ones, someday.
STAY will be the largest study of its kind as it involves over 50 vet clinics and more than 1,000 pet dogs. The study will last for four years to see how the drug would work and how safe it is for your dogs. With this, Loyal is also collecting saliva and blood samples from dogs during the course of the study. The samples will be stored in a biobank to help with future research, as it may possibly be useful for studies that involve giving humans a longer life.
Other Drugs By Loyal
Looking at the longevity drug’s journey, this is the second to receive acceptance by the FDA. The first one, which is the LOY-001, received acceptance back in November 2023. It’s a prescription injection meant for large and giant breed dogs, according to Celine Halioua, the CEO of Loyal.
Meanwhile, the LOY-003 is also in the works. It’s actually a prescription pill that targets the same benefits large and giant breeds can get from LOY-001. Both of them target dogs aged 7 years and older that weigh at least 40 lbs.
If you’re interested in signing up your dog, vet clinics around the country will also start signing up, and you can visit STAY’s study website.
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From The Club
Just a year ago, I lost my senior dog that I had since I was a kid. We decided to put him to sleep since he suffers from severe dementia, and I know that there isn’t a cure for it. I remembered how he suffered sleepless nights since he kept on crying, and he was always confused. Hopefully, Loyal will also look into treating such illnesses in senior dogs. It may be through the LOY-002 drug or through a new drug that’s made specifically for dementia.