Pet GLP-1 Trial Tracker

Verified July 25, 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. OKV-119/MEOW-1 dosing is underway with topline data expected summer 2027; Akston's Cornell trial remains on a separate, earlier timeline.

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-month primary weight endpoint, ~6-month full evaluation
• •Results expected: Summer 2027 (dosing underway as of July 2026, per CNBC/Smithsonian/ABC coverage)
• •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.

Global Competition: International Entrants

The veterinary GLP-1 category has acquired its first international competitor. China's Huadong Medicine has filed for NMPA regulatory approval of pribopeptide, a dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist for overweight cats: becoming the first company outside the US to reach regulatory filing stage for a veterinary anti-obesity GLP-1/GIP drug.

The Huadong filing is notable for three reasons. (1) Mechanism: Dual GLP-1/GIP agonism is the same mechanism as tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) in humans: the highest-efficacy weight-loss mechanism in human Phase III trials. (2) Phase III data: ~10% body weight loss in 6 weeks and 72% of cats losing ≥5% body weight is directly comparable to the efficacy endpoints Okava and Akston are targeting. (3) Market signal: NMPA filing confirms that large international pharmaceutical companies are entering veterinary anti-obesity drugs as a genuine commercial category. Sources: Sixth Tone, Yicai Global.

MEOW-1 Summer 2027 Readout: What Each Scenario Means

The MEOW-1 primary endpoint is statistically significant weight loss versus controls at 3 months, with the ~6-month full evaluation providing secondary data. Dosing began mid-2026 and topline results are expected summer 2027, per CNBC's July 18, 2026 report and Okava's own trial listing (veterinaryclinicaltrials.org VCT25005930). Here is how each possible outcome changes the category:

Scenario 1: Positive Readout

OKV-119 meets the primary weight-loss endpoint with a clinically meaningful effect size and an acceptable safety profile. This is the first demonstration that a pet-specific GLP-1 drug works in companion animals. Okava files a New Animal Drug Application (NADA) with FDA-CVM, targeting conditional approval: a pathway available under 21 CFR 520 that allows marketing while confirmatory studies are completed. FDA-CVM review typically takes 12-18 months. Commercial launch of OKV-119 for cats becomes realistic 2028-2029. Zoetis, Merck Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Elanco, all of whom have been watching from the sidelines, face immediate pressure to accelerate their own GLP-1 pipelines or acquire Okava. Akston AKS-562c gains a category tailwind: a proven mechanism means its Cornell data will be viewed with greater commercial confidence.

Scenario 2: Negative Readout (Efficacy Failure)

OKV-119 shows no statistically significant weight loss versus controls, or the effect size is below the minimum clinically meaningful threshold. The OKV-119 program in its current form is likely shelved. Okava may pivot to a higher-dose formulation or a different delivery format, adding 2-3 years to any approval timeline. The category does not reset entirely. Akston AKS-562c is an independent molecule with independent trial data and remains active. However, the press cycle around pet GLP-1 cools significantly, and mainstream media coverage of the space diminishes until Akston reports.

Scenario 3: Negative Readout (Safety Signal)

OKV-119 shows efficacy but produces an unacceptable safety signal: most likely elevated pancreatitis incidence, significant hepatic enzyme changes, or severe implant-site reactions in a meaningful proportion of cats. This is the worst-case outcome for the field. FDA-CVM may place a clinical hold not just on OKV-119 but issue guidance that raises the safety bar for all veterinary GLP-1 applications. Akston's Cornell trial is ongoing under different conditions (injection vs. implant, different molecule) but would face heightened scrutiny. Category development could slip 3-5 years while regulators establish safety benchmarks.

Scenario 4: Inconclusive Readout

The trial shows a positive trend in weight loss but does not reach statistical significance, or the study encounters protocol issues (enrollment shortfall, higher-than-expected dropout, protocol amendment mid-trial). Okava runs an expanded or extended pivotal study. The timeline extends 18-24 months and a commercial launch for cats slips to 2029-2030. This is a common outcome in veterinary drug development, where client-owned animal trials face compliance variability that laboratory studies avoid. The category thesis remains intact; the press cycle moment is delayed.