Cats are first in line, and still years from a prescription.
There is no FDA-approved GLP-1 for cats. Cats are nonetheless the species leading this field: both drugs furthest along are being tested in cats, not dogs. The world's first pet-specific GLP-1 efficacy readout is a cat trial, and it is estimated for H2 2026. That window is an estimate, not a date either sponsor has confirmed.
The feline programmes
Both are investigational. Neither is prescribable, and neither has published efficacy results.
| Programme | Species | Expected readout | Status | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pivotal studyThe study intended to support approval | ||||
| OKV-119Okava PharmaceuticalsMEOW-1 study | Cats | Summer 2027Estimated, not company-confirmed | Dosing. The MEOW-1 study is running in client-owned overweight and obese cats under an FDA-CVM Investigational New Animal Drug application, with weight and health metrics measured at three and six months. CNBC reported on 18 July 2026 that top-line results of both feline GLP-1 trials are expected later this year. That sentence is unattributed, covers the two programmes in one clause, and gives no Okava-specific date; Okava itself has stated no readout date. It is recorded here because readers arrive carrying it, and it is not adopted as the MEOW-1 window: the estimate below follows the trial's own clock, a December 2025 start, an implant releasing for up to six months, a three-month primary period with an optional three-month extension, and cats still being dosed in mid-2026. | Full statusFull status for OKV-119 |
| Pilot studyEarly study, small numbers | ||||
| AKS-562cAkston Biosciences | Cats | H2 2026Estimated, not company-confirmed | The Cornell study in client-owned overweight cats, 70 enrolled with an option to extend, has published nothing. Cornell's own award record puts the project period at July 2025 to June 2026 and describes an 11-week treatment period, principal investigator Patrick Carney. The funded period has therefore closed without a published result. The safety data Akston presented at the 2026 ACVIM Forum came from a separate preclinical study in 16 healthy research cats: well tolerated over 12 weeks, no treatment-related toxicity, no antidrug antibodies. Those are two different cohorts and only the second has read out. | Full statusFull status for AKS-562c |
Nothing in this table is FDA-approved for weight loss in cats or dogs. A programme being in a pivotal study is not an approval, and an expected readout is not a result. Dates marked “estimated” come from reporting or analysis, not from the sponsor. Last verified 2026-08-02.
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Read next
- Ozempic for catsWhy you cannot get it, and what is actually being tested.
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- Cat obesityThe condition the drugs are aimed at.
- Is my cat overweight?Check with the 9-point veterinary scale.
- Cat body condition tool60-second feline BCS assessment.
Nothing here is veterinary advice. Human GLP-1 medications cannot legally be prescribed for pets and are not safe to give them. Talk to your vet.