Your Dog Can Join a Clinical Trial for a Drug That May Extend Their Life

All dogs should live happily forever — but given that the key to immortality hasn’t been discovered (yet), all dogs should at least live happily absolutely as long as possible. Loyal, a Silicon Valley veterinary medicine company, knows just how true that is. For years, they’ve been developing a promising drug aimed toward helping senior pups live longer. And now, your pup can be part of their mission — and receive the potentially life-extending assistance of their new drug.

In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that Loyal’s experimental drug, LOY-001, which targets a hormone in large dogs that some propose may contribute to their short lifespan, had a “reasonable expectation of effectiveness” after research found that a series of injections curbed insulin increases and reduced the targeted hormone.

Now, Loyal is conducting a clinical study on LOY-002, a daily tablet version that they hope will bring the drug one step closer to production. The STAY clinical tria l is a double-blind placebo study, so pet parents involved will not know whether or not their dog is receiving the actual drug, reported CBS News.

Loyal’s product specifically targets senior dogs. “The thesis and the theory behind this is that dogs, as they age, get some metabolic inefficiencies that can lead to ultimately them not living as long,” Alex Robb, the medical director of Goodheart Animal Health Center, one of the clinics conducting the trial, told CBS. “So, this drug is intended to address that problem.”

At least 1,000 dogs have already been enrolled in the trial, but Loyal is still seeking out participants. To be eligible, dogs must be 10 years old and weigh at least 14 pounds. Throughout the trial, pups will take the medication daily. Loyal is hopeful that they will be able to apply for FDA approval by the end of this year. To submit your pup for consideration, you can apply to join the study at the link below.