Veterinarians are warning pet owners to stop giving obese cats the weight-loss drug Ozempic after a sudden surge in blindness among obese felines.
OKAVA Pharmaceuticals, a pet medication company, recently completed a clinical trial for its MEOW-1 drug, a feline GLP-1 agonist.
According to the company, the drug is intended to help obese cats lose weight.
However, critics warn that giving pets Ozempic drug is causing a surge in blindness among cats, just as it does with human patients.
Thepostmillennial.com reports: OKV-199 is a small implant placed beneath the skin that slowly releases the drug over a period of up to six months.
If the MEOW-1 trial continues to show positive results, OKAVA said it plans to launch a larger trial before applying for FDA approval. The company hopes the drug could be available to consumers by 2028 or 2029.
The treatment is expected to be particularly beneficial for pet owners struggling to manage obesity and related health conditions in their cats.
