Pet GLP-1 Trial Tracker

Verified April 2026: Two separate companies are running cat trials of GLP-1 weight management drugs — and they're often confused in news coverage. This page tracks both.

Trial 1: Okava OKV-119 (MEOW-1 Trial)

Okava Pharmaceuticals is developing OKV-119, a long-acting GLP-1 weight management product designed as a small subcutaneous implant. The implant is engineered to slowly release exenatide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist) over approximately 6 months — eliminating the need for weekly injections.

• •Trial name: MEOW-1 (Management of Excess Overweight cats With OKV-119)
• •Species: Cats
• •Active ingredient: Exenatide (GLP-1 receptor agonist)
• •Format: Subcutaneous implant, ~6 month release
• •Enrollment: At least 50 cats, with approximately two-thirds receiving the implant and the rest as controls
• •Observation period: 3 months, with optional 3-month extension
• •Results expected: Summer 2026 (per Okava announcement)
• •Dogs: Listed as next planned species — no canine trial formally announced

Trial 2: Akston AKS-562c (Cornell University)

Separately, Akston Biosciences is running a feline trial at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Their candidate, AKS-562c, is a once-weekly GLP-1 Fc-fusion injection — a different molecule and a different delivery format from Okava's implant.

• •Sponsor: Akston Biosciences
• •Site: Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
• •Species: Cats
• •Active ingredient: AKS-562c (proprietary GLP-1 Fc-fusion protein)
• •Format: Once-weekly subcutaneous injection
• •Enrollment: 70 cats, with option to expand to 140
• •Observation period: Approximately 3 months
• •Trial start: November 2025 (Akston announcement)
• •Dogs: Listed as future development target — no canine trial announced

When Will Either Be Available for Dogs?

Both companies have publicly stated that dogs are a planned next species, but neither has formally announced a canine clinical trial start date. Veterinary drug development from cat Phase 2 to canine FDA approval typically takes 3-5 years, which puts the realistic dog availability timeline at 2028-2029 at the earliest, more likely 2029-2030.

Expected Pricing

Neither Okava nor Akston has publicly announced pricing. Industry analysts familiar with veterinary pharmaceuticals expect long-acting pet GLP-1 products to follow the standard 'subscription preventative' model used by other long-acting pet medications like Bravecto (flea/tick) and ProHeart (heartworm) — which typically run somewhere in the range of $80-150 per quarterly or annual dose. Actual pricing will depend on the final drug, format, and competitive dynamics.

What Could Go Wrong

Veterinary drug development has high failure rates. Things that could derail either OKV-119 or AKS-562c:

• •Pancreatitis signals in cat trials. GLP-1s have known pancreatitis warnings in human labels. If cats show elevated pancreatitis rates, FDA could pause or require larger trials.
• •Insufficient efficacy. The cat trials need to show clinically meaningful weight loss vs. controls. If the effect size is too small, it may not justify a $100/month price tag.
• •Implant or injection tolerability issues. Subcutaneous delivery can cause local reactions in some animals.
• •Manufacturing scale-up problems. Peptide drug manufacturing for veterinary scale is harder than human scale because of cost constraints.
• •Slentrol's history is instructive. The first FDA-approved canine weight loss drug (dirlotapide) was withdrawn in 2013 due to low pet owner adoption — even effective drugs can fail commercially in pet pharma.

What This Means for You

If you're searching for OKV-119 or AKS-562c because your dog is overweight RIGHT NOW, the honest answer is: don't wait for it. Even in the best case, dog approval is several years away. Your dog needs weight loss now, not in 2028. Use a vet weight management food and proper portion control. When pet GLP-1 launches, it'll be a useful addition for stubborn cases — but it won't replace the basic methods that work for the majority of dogs.

How We Track This

We monitor: ClinicalTrials.gov listings, Okava Pharmaceuticals press releases, Akston Biosciences press releases, Cornell University Veterinary College news, FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine announcements, and veterinary industry publications (dvm360, JAVMA, Veterinary Practice News). When meaningful progress is announced, we update this page and notify our email list.