Popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may soon be offered for pets. Okava Pharmaceuticals of San Francisco has launched MEOW-1, a clinical study using a small under-the-skin implant called OKV-119 to release a GLP-1 medication over six months in 50 cats.
Michael Klotsman, Okava’s CEO, said the implant 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 disrupting the human-animal bond that often centers around food.” The company says the therapy could improve cats’ quality of life and promote healthy aging.
Experts estimate about six in 10 U.S. cats carry excess weight. “In veterinary medicine for the last 100 years, the only prescription we had was feed less, exercise more, and that just doesn’t work for all types of obesity,” said Dr. Ernie Ward, a leading pet obesity expert. Ward noted potential benefits beyond weight loss, pointing to human data showing reduced diabetes risk and other long-term health improvements. He said the main uncertainties in the trial are efficacy, side effects and cost.
Okava aims to price the treatment around $100 per month for pet owners.
Cat owner Savannah Tielking said she would consider the option for her 10-year-old cat Runkle, who weighed 21 pounds at his last check. “I think that if my vet came to me and was like, ‘He’s diabetic. We’ve tried everything else. We should consider that’ – then most definitely,” she said.
MEOW-1 results are expected next summer. Okava plans to seek FDA approval for cats within the next two years, with a dog indication to follow.
