The world's first diabetic pill for cats has been approved for use by the US government, easing treatment in newly diagnosed animals, without the shots.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved, Bexacat, a drug made by Elanco Animal Health Inc., an American pharmaceutical company, to help in treating feline diabetes.
“Some people are afraid of giving insulin injections. Some people don’t have the time to dedicate to the care of their cats,” said Dr. Catharine Scott-Moncrieff, a Purdue University veterinarian who consulted with the makers of Bexacat on the product testing.
Bexacat is a non-insulin, needle-free, once-daily oral medication specifically designed for treatment of cats with diabetes mellitus.
“It will be life-changing for some cats and some owners, but it’s not for every cat,” Scott-Moncrieff said.
The pill, which is expected to be available in the U.S. in the next several weeks, aims to treat cats by lowering their blood sugar, causing it to be excreted in urine.
Though similar drugs have been approved for humans for about a decade, this is the first drug of its type to be approved for animals.
Diabetes in cats is caused when too much glucose, or sugar builds up in the bloodstream because the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, or use it properly.
Its symptoms in cats include increased thirst and urination, increased appetite and weight loss.
About a quarter of U.S. households include one or more cats, totaling more than 58 million felines. Between 1 in 100 and 1 in 500 cats in the U.S. are diagnosed with diabetes, which is rising as obesity rates in the species approach 50%, said Dr. Bruce Kornreich, director of the Cornell Feline Health Center at Cornell University.
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