2024 veterinary news in review: #3

The dvm360 editorial team is counting down our Top 20 news stories and articles of the year, from January 1, 2024, to November 15, 2024. Rank was determined by measurable audience interest and engagement.

A spotlight is shining on 1 article each day through New Year’s Eve, when the No. 1 dvm360 story of the year will be shared. The following article is No. 3 on this list:

A clinical trial is launched for a novel drug that could extend healthy lifespan in senior dogs

written by Kristen Coppock Crossley, MA

Originally published February 1, 2024

The first patient—an 11-year-old Whippet named Boo—has been dosed in a clinical trial for a developmental drug that aims to extend the healthy lifespan of senior dogs of most sizes. The LOY-002 product is being studied for use with the exception of the smallest senior canines by the startup biotech company Loyal.¹

Photo courtesy of Loyal

Boo, the first patient in the STAY clinical trial to receive a dose of LOY-002.

“We are working to develop multiple dog longevity products,” said Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, in an interview with dvm360. Notably, the company is also working to bring to market LOY-001, a longevity drug for large and giant breed dogs. LOY-001 received support from the FDA in November 2023, when the agency approved the Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness section in Loyal’s application for conditional drug approval, following a review of clinical data, study results and scientific argument provided by the company.²

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Loyal developed LOY-001 by first looking at the underlying mechanisms of aging. The drug works by reducing insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a key biomarker hormone that drives cell growth and is believed to reduce the lifespan of large dogs.² LOY-002 is being developed to extend healthy lifespan by improving dogs’ metabolic health to delay the onset and reduce the impact of age-associated diseases.¹

The new STAY study for LOY-002 is expected to last 4 years and include 1000 enrolled dogs, working in partnership with more than 50 independent veterinary clinics from across the country.¹ “It will be one of the largest veterinary clinical studies that, as far as we know, has ever been run,” said Halioua.

For more on the LOY-002 clinical trial, view the full article here: https://www.dvm360.com/view/a-clinical-trial-is-launched-for-a-novel-drug-that-could-extend-healthy-lifespan-in-senior-dogs