An experimental once-weekly oral drug developed by The Cat Health Company was associated with increases in body mass and skeletal muscle thickness in a 12-week placebo-controlled study of 35 geriatric cats.
Cats receiving PURR-001 gained an average of 7% in body mass, compared with 1% among cats receiving placebo. Ultrasound measurements of the epaxial muscles, a commonly used site for assessing muscle mass in cats, increased by 23% on average in the treatment group versus 9% with placebo.
The study was conducted across multiple European sites under state supervision and used a double-blind design. Investigators reported that epaxial muscle thickness accounted for 48% of the variation in body mass across the study population.
Blood hematology and serum biochemistry measurements remained within normal limits at weeks 0, 6 and 12, while adverse events occurred at similar rates between treatment groups. The complete study methods and results are available in a preprint.
The findings come as PURR-001 moves into manufacturing and regulatory development. The Cat Health Company has signed a licensing agreement with European veterinary pharmaceutical company Vetro Solutions, which will support manufacturing, regulatory preparation and distribution of the product. Financial terms were not disclosed.
PURR-001 is intended to address age-related muscle loss, a common problem in older cats that can contribute to declining physical function and overall health. The drug remains investigational and has not been authorized for veterinary use in any market.
“There is currently no approved drug specifically for age-related muscle loss in cats,” said Alex Bacita, COO and co-founder of The Cat Health Company. “These results give us a basis to investigate whether increasing muscle mass can translate into meaningful improvements in health and function in older cats.”
The company says Vetro’s involvement will allow it to focus resources on additional feline aging programs while the licensing partner works on manufacturing and regulatory development. The companies did not disclose the territories or financial structure of the agreement beyond stating that Vetro’s initial commercial infrastructure covers seven European markets.
PURR-001 is the first clinical-stage program to emerge from The Cat Health Company’s drug-development platform. The company is also developing programs targeting other age-associated diseases in cats, including chronic kidney, neurological and cardiovascular conditions.
The Cat Health Company was founded by researchers and biotechnology executives with backgrounds including the University of Oxford, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the University of Manchester and Charles River Laboratories. The company is backed by European and US venture investors and biotechnology executives.
PURR-001 remains investigational and is not currently available by prescription.