PRODUCT NEWS: New Drug Available for Canine Osteoarthritis

Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, and Aratanta Therapeutics Inc. have announced the availability of Galliprant®—a new targeted drug for managing pain and inflammation in dogs with osteoarthritis (OA).

Galliprant, a first-in-class piprant, is indicated for dogs with OA that are as young as 9 months of age and weigh at least 8 pounds. Most dogs can be dosed once per day with either a whole or half-tablet of the medication.

The new product targets the clinical signs of OA by blocking the prostaglandin EP4 receptor—the primary mediator of OA pain and inflammation—while not inhibiting production of necessary prostanoids that maintain homeostatic functions.

Galliprant was proven effective after a placebo-controlled, 16-site field study demonstrated statistically significant improvement in pain interference and pain severity with the new drug compared with placebo.

Safety was tested in a separate study conducted over a 9-month period. When Galliprant was administered at 15 times the labeled 2-mg/kg dose, study participants showed no clinically significant changes in liver, kidney, or coagulation parameters. Likewise, there were no noticeable effects on food consumption, body weight, electrocardiography, organ weight, or hematology among study participants.

The most common adverse reactions seen throughout the studies were vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and lethargy.

One in five dogs is estimated to be affected by OA, with large-breed and overweight dogs being more prone to the condition.

"Along with employing such strategies as diet, exercise, and disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs), managing the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis is vital," says Dr. Tony Rumschlag, director of regional consulting veterinarians for Elanco Animal Health. "With Galliprant, veterinarians can feel confident about addressing canine osteoarthritis pain and inflammation, even at the earliest diagnosed stages."