A drug that could extend the lifespan of large breed dogs is moving through the FDA approval process

A medication is being developed that may help your dog live longer. A company called Loyal was founded 4 years ago with the aim to improve longevity and create anti-aging medications to help improve your dog’s lifespan. The FDA has fast-tracked a conditional approval pathway for animal therapies which means there may be reasonable expectation of effectiveness of a new drug called LOY-001 that targets and lowers the amount of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), a hormone which the company claims is elevated due to genetic breeding for size up to 28 times the levels present in small breed dogs. Smaller breed dogs, which tend to live on average longer than large breed dogs.

Link to more articles about IGF-1 and lifespan

Link to decreased IGF-1 could be harmful to the cardiovascular system

Link to article studying connection with IGF-1, diabetes and cancer