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By Hollie Silverman
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OKAVA Pharmaceuticals, a San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company, has started a first-of-its-kind clinical trial evaluating a weight loss therapy for obese cats using a GLP-1 implant, the company said in a press release earlier this month.
With feline obesity rising sharply as an estimated 50 to 61 percent of cats in the United States are classified as overweight or obese, veterinarians, pet owners, and industry watchers see growing urgency for effective treatments beyond diet and exercise plans, The New York Times reported.
GLP-1 drugs have transformed diabetes and obesity management in humans, and their potential application for pets could signal a new era for animal health.
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What To Know
OKAVA Pharmaceuticals dosed the first cat in its MEOW-1 study for OKV-119, a subdermal GLP-1 implant targeted at addressing obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease in cats. The trial, formally titled “ManagEment of OverWeight cats with OKV-119” (MEOW-1), is the first-ever GLP-1 weight loss trial in domestic pets.
Up to 50 cats are expected to participate, with their weight and health metrics monitored at three and six months, according to a report from ABC News.
The OKV-119 implant utilizes Vivani Medical's proprietary NanoPortal™ technology to provide steady, long-acting release of exenatide, a GLP-1 agonist approved for human type 2 diabetes, for up to six months per implant.
GLP-1 receptor agonists help promote fullness, slow digestion, and support glucose regulation. Human analogs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have recently gained widespread use for weight loss; in the veterinary context, OKV-119 uses exenatide rather than the semaglutide or tirzepatide found in popular human analogs.
Unlike daily or weekly injections for pets, the subdermal implant approach is intended to avoid challenges with medication adherence and permit up to six months of therapeutic effect with one administration.
The trial is registered with the American Veterinary Medical Association Clinical Trials Registry and is being conducted under an FDA-Center for Veterinary Medicine Investigational New Animal Drug application.
Results are anticipated in summer 2026. If the study is successful, a similar trial in dogs is planned next.
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What People Are Saying
Michael Klotsman, Ph.D., MBA, CEO of OKAVA Pharmaceuticals, said in the press release: “Caloric restriction, or fasting, is one of the most well-established interventions for extending lifespan and improving metabolic health in cats. But it’s also one of the hardest to maintain. OKV-119 is designed to mimic many of the physiological effects of fasting—improved insulin sensitivity, reduced fat mass, and more efficient energy metabolism—without requiring significant changes in feeding routines or disrupting the human–animal bond that often centers around food.”
Dr. Chen Gilor, veterinarian at the University of Florida, who leads the study, told the Times earlier this month: “You insert that capsule under the skin, and then you come back six months later, and the cat has lost the weight. It’s like magic.”
Cat owner Savannah Tielking told CBS News: “He spends most of his days sleeping. He's a lounger…big lounger. I think that if my vet came to me and was like, ‘He's diabetic. We've tried everything else. We should consider that’—then most definitely."
What Happens Next?
OKAVA aims to seek FDA approval of OKV-119 between 2027 and 2028, with anticipated out-of-pocket costs for owners around $100 per month if approved, ABC News reported.
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