The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday approved its first treatment to control pain associated with osteoarthritis in cats, which is also the first monoclonal antibody approved for any animal species. These lab-grown proteins have made headlines during the pandemic to prevent high-risk people with Covid from getting seriously ill. However, not all monoclonal antibodies target pathogens. Some that are approved for humans with cancer perform other functions, such as marking cancer cells so the immune system can better recognize and fight them.
Solensia, the new injectable drug approved for cats, works by binding to a protein called nerve growth factor (NGF) involved in pain regulation.
When frunevetmab, the active ingredient in Solensia, binds to NGF, it blocks the pain signal from reaching the brain.
“Advances in modern veterinary medicine have helped extend the lives of many animals, including cats,” Steven Solomon, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement.
“But with longer lives come chronic diseases, like osteoarthritis,” he added.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage that protects the ends of bones becomes thin. Eventually, the bones in a joint rub against each other, causing pain and decreasing joint movement, and sometimes leading to bone spurs.
The disease is believed to affect 60% of cats aged six and over and 90% of cats over 12 years old.
Because cats aren’t good at transmitting their symptoms directly, researchers asked their owners about their pets’ level of impairment in activities like jumping on furniture, using their litter box, or grooming themselves, and compared their abilities. before they develop osteoarthritis.
Owners were then asked to rate their cats’ response after receiving the treatment.
Overall, cats in the treatment group achieved better assessment scores than those given placebos in randomized clinical trials.
Side effects of the drug, which is injected under the skin by a veterinarian once a month, included vomiting, diarrhea, pain at the injection site, scabs on the head and neck, dermatitis and pruritus. (itchy skin).
The effects were mild and did not require discontinuation of treatment. Zoetis, the drug’s maker, said it shouldn’t be used in breeding cats or those that are pregnant or nursing.
It should also not be taken by humans.
Zoetis declined to comment on its cost but said it would be priced “competitively”.
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