A start-up has filed for approval of a new drug to treat chronic kidney disease in cats, the founder said, offering hope for a common affliction that currently has no definitive cure.
The Tokyo-based Institute for AIM Medicine filed the treatment with the agriculture ministry on Friday, researcher Toru Miyazaki said yesterday, after a trial showed the drug significantly extended the life of afflicted cats.
“Most cats suffer from chronic kidney disease, and many die from end-stage renal failure or uraemia,” Miyazaki, a former professor of the University of Tokyo, said.
“We undertook drug development with the aim of overcoming this situation and alleviating the financial and physical burden on both cats and their owners.”
Miyazaki’s research came under spotlight five years ago when he had to halt the development of the drug due to a shortage of research funding during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following media reports, he received a flood of donations from cat lovers and owners totalling nearly ¥300mil (RM7.5mil) between 2021 and 2022.
Chronic kidney disease is common among older cats, affecting up to 40% of felines aged more than 10, and 80% of those over 15, according to Cornell Feline Health Center in the United States.
Miyazaki’s study, published in the Veterinary Journal in February, tracked 11 cats that received the treatment and 15 non-treated cats for a year.
The cumulative survival rate for the treated cats was between 80 and 83%, while it was 20% for the non-treated cats. — AFP
