A pill that could extend your dog's life will be out soon, but at what cost?

US-approved drug LOY-002 could extend life by at least a year, but questions remain over the ethics of prolonging a pet's life

Abu Dhabi resident Alyssa Marie Casaclang said she would consider buying a pill to lengthen her dogs' lives. Victor Besa / The National

Costs could be the biggest barrier to pet owners utilising a new longevity pill that promises to extend the lives of dogs after winning US regulatory approval, say experts.

Longevity has been the buzzword of health science in recent years but it is the animal world that could be first to benefit from a daily pill that could extend a dog’s life by at least a year.

While the price has yet to be announced, an expert told The National new drugs such as this tended to be on the expensive side.

Designed by US biotech company Loyal, it is the first purpose-built life-extending drug to be supported by the Food and Drug Administration. With the potential to lead to further research and trials into a possible human equivalent, the drug has huge potential to not only extend the time of man’s best friend – but also human life.

The recent FDA acceptance of reasonable expectation of effectiveness for the drug – LOY-002 – marks a significant milestone on that journey and could bring support for larger dogs, which tend to age earlier than smaller animals. By slowing metabolic dysfunction that comes with ageing, in a similar way to fasting, vets say the drug has the potential to improve quality of life and reduce disease in millions of dogs.

Dr Martin Wyness, executive director of Dubai's EuroVets Veterinary Medicines said further research could open the door for potential human drugs with similar life-extending properties.

“We take a lot from the human side and appropriate information as best we can and apply it to animals, as we don't have the same funding for research in animals as we do in humans,” Dr Wyness told The National.

“Also, quite a lot of what we do is extrapolated from human research. We try it in animals and it works there as well, so becomes established practice. But it also goes the other way.

“We have research in animals that yields results that suddenly people realise is a good model for humans, and so the information and practices proceed in the other direction too. There’s good cross-fertilisation between animal and human research.”

Fasting properties

By reducing calories, the body metabolises fuel more efficiently. LOY-002 replicates that process. Science has found a growth hormone dependent peptide called IGF-1 is critical in the regulation of many of the body’s physiological processes. While having a positive impact on growth and development, it has a negative impact on longevity.

Dr Wyness, who is the founder and chief executive of British Veterinary Centre in Abu Dhabi, said while the drug was still in its early development, it had potential to lower IGF levels in animals.

“IGF seems to be associated with old age and people who live longer have lower levels of it, whereas dogs that die younger have higher levels,” he said. “The idea is if we can lower the IGF we can extend the life – we just don't know yet if this will be beneficial, as the safety processes have to be worked out.

“This will be a novel drug, so its developers will want their investment back from their research, so typically those new drugs are quite expensive. People might be limited by the cost.”

The global market for longevity therapeutics is one of the fastest growing healthcare industries.

According to the Allied Market Research group, the total value of longevity and anti-ageing therapies is estimated to almost double in a decade, from $25.1 billion in 2020 to $44.2bn by 2030. So far, Loyal has been backed by more than $150 million as it attempts to tap into a vast market in human and animal longevity.

Dr Sam Westhead, from the Amity Veterinary Clinic in Dubai, said should the drug become available, there would be ethical considerations to determine when it should be used.

“It is important to bear in mind this is going to be complementary to things we're already doing and advising as vets,” he said. “There's no point trying to extend a dog's life if it's overweight, has bad joints or its teeth are falling out.”

“Keeping a dog's weight to recommended limits, keeping its teeth clean on a regular basis and blood testing regularly to make sure there aren't any diseases creeping up are really important. Quality of life is more important than the quantity of life.”

Ethics to consider

The average life of a dog can vary in length from around eight years for larger dogs such as a Great Dane to 17 years or more for a much smaller Chihuahua or poodle, for example. The average age is around 11 to 14 years, with a healthy diet and regular exercise vital to living a long and healthy life, just as in humans.

Dr Sam Westhead, from the Amity Veterinary Clinic in Dubai, with his dog Goli. Chris Whiteoak / The National

“If you could extend a dog's life to let's say 30, as long as it's in good health that would not be a bad thing,” said Dr Westhead. “Ethically, we would be reluctant to see a dog have this drug that is dragging its back legs along, because of a spinal issue or terrible hip arthritis. Keeping it going for another five years in terrible discomfort is where the ethics come in.”

Abu Dhabi resident Alyssa Marie Casaclang, 34, has four dogs – Kelly aged four, and one-year-olds Timothy, Reilly and Killua. All are bred from a Maltese and cockapoo.

“Having four dogs is not really that easy, and it can be quite expensive,” she said. “With the foods and some supplements, we are spending, on average, Dh500 ($136) to 1,000 a month. And the other expenses are a different story.”

Despite these monthly costs, Ms Casaclang said she would consider spending more money on a life-extending drug for her beloved pets.

“I think spending a little bit more will mean we have them around for a longer time, and you can’t put a price on that,” she said. “I'm treating these dogs as though they are my kids, so I want to give what's the best for them.”