Anti-aging drug for dogs set to be available by 2026

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The groundbreaking drug is yet to be approved, but it is expected to receive the nod by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2026.

Loyal, the San Francisco biotech company behind the drug, previously told Fox News Digital that they hope their product will help millions of dogs across the US to live longer and with a better quality of life.

There are currently no other drugs on the market that serve this purpose.

The drug, called LOY-001, is said to slow down the aging process in dogs that weigh 40 pounds or more. 

It targets the metabolic health of animals, and aims to "reduce the impact of age-associated diseases and maintain their quality of life as they age.”

“Our metabolism changes as we age, leading to reduced health, and dogs are no different. By targeting the underlying mechanisms of aging, Loyal hopes to extend the lifespan of dogs and maintain their quality of life as they age,” the company says.

CEO of the company, Celine Halioua, shared her excitement at the prospect of the drug's approval: “Loyal was founded with the ambitious goal of developing the first drugs to extend a healthy lifespan in dogs. This milestone is the result of years of careful work by the team.”

Scientists believe that the drug's introduction could lead to similar products being developed for use on humans.

Carmen Castaneda Sceppa, dean of Bouvé College of Health Sciences at Northeastern, says that the new drug could help further our understanding of the metabolism's impact on aging in humans.

“Metabolic changes that are age related happen at the peak of adulthood,” she said.

“Starting around age 30, in terms of muscle mass, which is a very important tissue that contributes to metabolism and maintaining health in humans, we start to see that decline unless we are intentional about maintaining and grow muscle mass, like exercise would do.”