On Tuesday morning, the biotech company Loyal announced that it has reached a major milestone on the road to approval of its drug that extends the lifespan of large dogs.
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The announcement came after the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine confirmed that data met a key condition for fast-track approval by the FDA. This means the agency believes that the drug LOY-001 is likely to be effective in increasing the lifespan of large dogs.
Despite the requirement to produce safety and manufacturing data for LOY-001, if initial approval is granted, the drug will be allowed to be marketed for life extension in dogs while full approval is pending. It is hoped that LOY-001 could be launched no later than 2026, following approval.
Large and giant dogs, such as golden retrievers, great danes and newfoundlands, have a reputation for short lifespans, with an average life of eight to ten years. Previous research suggests this is due to years of selective breeding for large dogs, which gives them the genetic recipe for huge bodiesbut short lives.
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The growth hormone IGF-1 is thought to be at high levels in large breed dogs. Designed to be administered every three to six months, LOY-001 aims to reduce the level of the hormone IGF-1 to that seen in smaller dogs, which often have longer lifespans. The FDA’s agreement that Loyal’s data supports a “reasonable expectation of efficacy” suggests that goal is likely to be achieved.
That doesn’t mean dogs can live forever, although that truth may be sad. “These are certainly not immortality or life-extension drugs in a radical way,” Halioua said in an email to The New York Times. “Nothing we’re developing can make a dog live forever.”
However, this offers hope that our pooches might live a little longer and, hopefully, have a better quality of life. It could also be a major step in the development of longevity drugs in general – if it meets FDA standards, LOY-001 would be the first lifespan extension drug ever approved.
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Only time and research will tell whether the development and approval of life-extending drugs will extend beyond dogs, but that certainly hasn't stopped some people from trying to find unique ways to combat aging.
Source: iflscience
