{"id":177609,"date":"2025-12-10T17:57:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T17:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/177609\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T17:57:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T17:57:07","slug":"first-ever-glp-1-implant-for-pets-promises-major-weight-loss-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/177609\/","title":{"rendered":"First ever GLP-1 implant for pets promises major weight-loss benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"

The world\u2019s first GLP-1 weight loss treatment is being\u00a0administered for pets<\/a>\u00a0on an experimental basis.<\/p>\n

The first cat was successfully dosed in the MEOW-1 study of OKV-119 \u2013 an investigational \u201cultra-long acting\u201d GLP-1 implant, which, according to a press release, is being developed for weight management in cats.<\/p>\n

OKAVA Pharmaceuticals, the San Francisco-based manufacturer of the medication, said the landmark clinical study of the \u201cfirst-in-class\u201d device could have \u201cprofound\u201d implications for diabetes, kidney disease,\u00a0healthy aging,\u00a0and longevity in pets.<\/p>\n

The implant allows for continuous delivery of a GLP-1 receptor agonist, improving cardio-metabolic health and potentially \u201cenhancing quality of life\u201d while extending it, according to the release.<\/p>\n

Once it is available, the single implant may be administered during a routine visit to a cat\u2019s veterinarian, with guaranteed\u00a0delivery of the medication\u00a0for up to six months.<\/p>\n

The MEOW-1 trial marks the first of its kind for clinical investigation of\u00a0weight loss\u00a0in cats and dogs, following the breakthrough of GLP-1 use in humans for the management of obesity and diabetes.<\/p>\n

OKAVA CEO Michael Klotsman, Ph.D., wrote in a statement that caloric restriction, or fasting, is \u201cone of the most well-established interventions for\u00a0extending lifespan\u00a0and improving metabolic health in cats.\u201d<\/p>\n

The world\u2019s first GLP-1 weight loss treatment is being\u00a0administered for pets\u00a0on an experimental basis. rh2010 \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The first cat (not pictured) was successfully dosed in the MEOW-1 study of OKV-119 \u2013 an investigational \u201cultra-long acting\u201d GLP-1 implant, which, according to a press release, is being developed for weight management in cats. anastas_ \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s also one of the hardest to maintain,\u201d he said. \u201cOKV-119 is designed to mimic many of the physiological effects of fasting \u2014\u00a0improved insulin sensitivity, reduced fat mass, and more efficient energy metabolism \u2014 without requiring significant changes in feeding routines or disruption of the human-animal bond that often centers around food.\u201d<\/p>\n

The MEOW-1 study aims to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of the weight-loss medication in overweight or obese cats. <\/p>\n

The results will guide future clinical development, as well as a similar study in dogs, according to the researchers.<\/p>\n

The implant allows for continuous delivery of a GLP-1 receptor agonist, improving cardio-metabolic health and potentially \u201cenhancing quality of life\u201d while extending it, according to the release. Andriy Blokhin \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The results will guide future clinical development, as well as a similar study in dogs, according to the researchers. Tetiana \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Dr. W. Chris Hummel, a veterinarian at Lovet Pet Health Care in Phoenix, Arizona, who was not involved in the study, confirmed that several GLP-1 drugs are under investigation in domestic animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreliminary evidence suggests that GLP-1 and GLP-like drugs can be effective\u00a0alternative therapies\u00a0for diabetes mellitus, otherwise known as sugar diabetes,\u201d he told Fox News Digital. \u201cDiabetes mellitus is one of the fastest-growing diseases in cats and dogs, largely on the heels of the pet obesity epidemic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe medications are given by injection, so long-acting combinations are currently being investigated for efficacy and duration,\u201d Hummel added. \u201cThe data is still early, but promising.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The world\u2019s first GLP-1 weight loss treatment is being\u00a0administered for pets\u00a0on an experimental basis. The first cat was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":177610,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[134,524,111,139,69,7014,31252,560],"class_list":{"0":"post-177609","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-medication","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-medication","10":"tag-new-zealand","11":"tag-newzealand","12":"tag-nz","13":"tag-ozempic","14":"tag-pets","15":"tag-weight-loss"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177610"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}