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Having a dog can be one of life’s greatest joys. They’re faithful companions who most owners consider family members.
But every dog owner knows the deal – eventually, you’ll face your pet’s declining health and passing. It’s part of the agreement you make when you adopt.
There are ways to buy more time with your best friend, though. A healthy diet and regular exercise work for dogs just like they do for humans.
What if you could just give your dog a pill that adds years to their life?
Loyal, a clinical-stage veterinary medicine company, thinks it’s developed a drug that does exactly that. The company was founded in 2019 by Celine Halioua when she was just 24 years old.
Right now, Loyal is claiming its pill – which has gone through multiple double-blind trials and is nearing FDA submission – can add at least one extra year of healthy life. They’ve raised $250 million so far, including $100 million in February from a firm that backed both Amazon and Tesla.
In their current trial, they’re hoping to prove it could be even longer.
The drug is called LOY-002. Here’s how it works: according to veterinarians, putting a dog on a strict calorie-restricted diet where it eats way less food tends to extend its life by about two years. The realities of age still catch up eventually, but the body ages more slowly overall.
Loyal claims its pill gives dogs those same benefits without the diet. The dog keeps its appetite and weight – it just ages more slowly.
What The Trials Are Showing
The FDA has reviewed safety data from over 400 trials and found zero serious side effects, even at five times the normal dose.
The company’s latest clinical trial, called STAY, is a double-blind experiment. Half the dogs (signed up by their owners) received a beef-flavored pill every day; the other half took a fake version that looks and tastes the same but acts as a control.
Loyal has cleared two of three hurdles for conditional approval, meaning they could technically start selling the drug while the full trial continues. The last hurdle – manufacturing – will be submitted to the FDA in 2027.
There are some caveats, though. The pill is designed for senior dogs aged 10 and older, and they must weigh at least 14 pounds.
If approved, Loyal’s pill would be the first drug the FDA has ever cleared to slow aging in any species. The company also has two more drugs in development for larger breeds.
Bigger dogs tend to die younger partly because of a hormone called IGF-1, which increases growth quickly but also wears on the body over time.
There are no guarantees in medicine – especially in something as new as anti-aging. But it’s hard to argue the pill isn’t encouraging for dog owners everywhere.
