With the runaway success of drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro effectively helping humans slim down, researchers and biotech firms are now sniffing out a new frontier: weight-loss drugs for dogs.
With up to 60 per cent of dogs in the UK estimated to be overweight or obese, the market for such drugs could be considerable.
Okava, a San Francisco-based bio-pharma company which specialises in pet health, is planning to run trials for a drug designed to mimic the effects of Ozempic, with the goal to produce an implant-version for dogs, which lasts six-months at a time.
According to estimates on the company's website, the current market for such a product could be worth $10bn, and they hope to have a canine weight-loss drug available as early as 2028 or 2029.
In human weight-loss drugs, the active ingredient in Mounjaro is called tirzepatide, and in Ozempic, it is semaglutide. Both work in similar ways, mimicking a natural hormone called GLP-1.
This hormone regulates blood sugar and appetite, ultimately leading people to feel fuller longer and reducing food intake.
The challenge for biotech firms is to reproduce that effect in dogs – a species well-known for practically limitless gorging.
The hope is that an Ozempic-style drug may reduce dogs' begging behaviour, which many owners find it difficult to resist rewarding.
Often, lack of appetite in dogs is associated with illness, meaning developing an effective drug that doesn't appear to make pets seem unwell is a fine balance. One such drug, named Slentrol, was launched in 2007, but did not sell well, partly due to how owners' perceived their pets behaviour when on the medication.
Okava's planned implant, called OKV-119, contains a GLP-1 mimic called exenatide.
Michael Klotsman, Okava's chief executive, said he hoped dogs' behavioural changes from OKV-119 would be quite different from illness-related appetite loss.
“What owners should expect to see is their pet eating appropriate portions without the previous food obsession – they’ll still eat regularly and show interest in meals, just without the excessive begging, scavenging or gulping behaviour,” he told The Guardian.
But not all tails are wagging. Vets have suggested that in most cases, dog owners would be better off avoiding obesity in their dogs through more exercise and by restricting their pets' diets.
Caroline Allen, Chief Veterinary Officer at the RSPCA told The Independent: “A healthy diet and exercise is the best way to keep our pets happy and well but we understand that owners can sometimes struggle to manage their pets’ weight. There is currently little information about proposed weight-loss implants or vaccinations for animals, and owners shouldn’t rely on them becoming available.
“Before resorting to these sorts of interventions, owners should seek help from their vet about how to reduce their pet’s weight with a good diet and providing lots of opportunities to exercise and play in ways that their pet will enjoy."
She added: “It may be that weight loss jabs or implants may have a role to play in future in very limited circumstances where animals are clinically unwell, but the best thing we can do is set healthy habits from the start so our pets can live the best life possible.”
