Extending dog years: New drug could increase lifespan of dogs, company awaits FDA approval

The lifespan of dogs is far shorter than their human counterparts, but now one company is one step closer to finding a way for these furry friends to live longer.

Loyal, a San Francisco based biotech company working to develop drugs to extend a dog's lifespan, said the Food and Drug Administration gave it a "technical section complete." That means the FDA agrees that the companies data shows that the drug is effective.

"We can't sell the drug yet, you can't go ask your vet about it yet," Loyal CEO Celine Halioua told ABC7. "We still have to finish manufacturing and safety, but the 'Does it work?' is kind of historically the most challenging, and most complex, aspect of getting a drug approved."

Drug would prolong lifespan of large dogs

The drug, which was codenamed LOY-001’s is designed to be used in large dog breeds for lifespan extension, Loyal said.

This new development means Loyal has met one requirement for “expanded conditional approval,” a fast-tracked authorization for animal drugs. Loyal hopes to have conditional approval of LOY-001 in 2026, which would allow it to begin marketing the product.

"From our data, the FDA believes LOY-001 is likely to be effective for large dog lifespan extension in the real world. Once we satisfactorily complete safety and manufacturing sections and other requirements, vets will be able to prescribe LOY-001 to extend the lifespan of large dogs while we complete the confirmatory pivotal lifespan extension study in parallel," the company said.

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How would the drug work?

LOY-001 would be a routine injection administered by a veterinarian every three to six months. The company is also working on two other drugs: LOY-002 which can be used in aging dogs of all sizes, and LOY-003, a pill form of LOY-001.

Halioua told ABC7 the various forms of the drug are important to allow for convenience and affordability.

"This is not going to be a rich person drug, this is not going to be something that puts your family to bankruptcy," she said, "I don't know the final price yet. We're working on finalizing that but think double digits per month. It's not going to be thousands."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New drug could extend lifespan of dogs, help dogs live longer