By Julie A. Jacob

Dozens of new veterinary medicine drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) every year.¹ While many new drugs brought to market are improved versions or variations of existing ones, some medications introduced in the past five years or so have been game changers in the treatment of common health issues in companion animals. According to veterinary medicine experts, new treatments for osteoarthritis, parvovirus, and diabetes are among those that have offered new treatment options for dogs and cats suffering from these conditions.

An innovative drug is one that treats a previously untreatable disease, provides new approaches to disease management and treatment, or is safer than existing drugs or has a different safety profile, explains James A. Budde, PharmD, RPh, DICVP, FACVP, chief pharmacy officer for Plumb's, a veterinary information platform.

Sirolimus (rapamycin) is an example of a drug that can treat a previously untreatable condition. In March 2025, the FDA granted conditional approval of sirolimus delayed-release tablets (Felycin-CA1) for the treatment of ventricular hypertrophy in cats with subclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).² It is the first approved drug for cats with HCM.

"The data so far show that weekly sirolimus administration slowed progression of LV hypertrophy, but [the FDA] is waiting for full proof of efficacy from more robust controlled clinical trials," Budde says.

Elanco's monoclonal antibody parvovirus treatment, which received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2023, is an example of a drug that can treat a disease that otherwise could be addressed only with supportive care.³

"It's the first and only therapeutic solution proven to treat canine parvovirus," says Mara Tugel, DVM, senior director of medical strategy for Elanco's U.S. pet health team.

"In the first year of launch, real-world data showed that 93 percent of puppies treated with CPMA survived in real-world usage, and that adding CPMA to standard treatment protocols reduced hospital time," Dr. Tugel says.

In June, the USDA approved the use of CPMA for passive immunity to prevent infection in puppies exposed to the virus, she adds.

Monoclonal antibody treatments for osteoarthritis in dogs and cats have offered something new in the area of pain management, says Richard Goldstein, DVM, DACVIM, DECVIM-CA, global chief medical officer and head of medical affairs for Zoetis. In 2021, Zoetis's Solensia (frunevetmab) received FDA approval in 2022,⁴ and Librela (beninvetmab) received FDA approval in 2023.⁵

"There was an unmet need for consistent chronic pain control for dogs and cats," Dr. Goldstein says.

"Monoclonal antibody therapy is relatively new to veterinary medicine, but it is not new to human medicine; it's been used for decades" he adds. "We launched the first canine monoclonal antibody, Cytopoint [in 2015] … the beauty of monoclonal antibody therapy —and it won't completely displace other types of medications —is safety and efficacy and that they are specific dog and cat therapies. They are not human drugs adapted to dogs and cats. They are built for dogs and cats using canine and feline antibodies that the body recognizes, and they are given as an injection and not needed daily."

In oncology, a recent innovation is gilvetmab,⁶ an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that received FDA conditional approval in 2023 as an immune checkpoint inhibitor for the treatment of stages 1 to 3 mast cell tumors and stages 2 and 3 melanoma in dogs.

"It binds to receptors on CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, blocking tumor-induced suppression of the T cell-mediated immune response, allowing the immune system to recognize and destroy cancerous cells," Budde says.

SGLT2 inhibitors (gliflozins) have been game changers in the treatment of diabetes in cats, Budde says. Two SGLTX inhibitors, Bexacat (bexagliflozin) and Senvelgo (velagliflozin), received FDA approval in 2023.⁷ The drugs stimulate the kidneys to excrete glucose. They are administered as either a tablet (Bexacat) or a liquid (Senvelgo) and do not require daily injections, unlike insulin. However, these drugs are not suitable for every patient. Cats must produce at least some insulin for the drug to be effective, and cats on the medication have an increased risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as urinary tract infections and gastrointestinal distress.

Alayana Rust, DVM, who practices in Chateaugay, N.Y., says she has prescribed gliflozins, but she does so cautiously due to the risk of side effects and limited applicability.

"If we get to the point where the majority of cats respond to it favorably, it definitely would be a game changer," Dr. Rust says. She's also prescribed Solensia and Librela to treat some of her patients with osteoarthritis, but, as with the gliflozins, she carefully screens patients due to the potential for adverse side effects, such as neurological conditions.⁸

"The majority of my patients that elect it as a treatment option responded well. It's given an old dog that has difficulty moving into puppylike behavior," she says. "Before that, there were just NSAIDs, sometimes steroids, and gabapentin. We still use those products if the patient isn't a great candidate for Librela or Solensia, but this does seem to be providing some patients with even better care as far as their joints."

What's ahead

The introduction of game-changing medications for osteoarthritis, parvovirus, and diabetes has underscored the need for new drugs to treat other conditions, such as kidney disease and cancer.

"Kidney disease is a huge one," Goldstein says. "Dogs and cats very commonly have kidney disease. Zoetis has made progress on a new canine therapy, expected to be available in the next couple of years, to help support the quality of life. We're heavily focused on that."

Rust would like to see a feline version of Cytopoint to treat allergies in cats, as well as new drugs to treat feline asthma.

"We're still stuck in the dark ages with steroids and some of these asthmatic cats are symptomatic every month," she says.

It is difficult to predict what's in the R&D pipeline and may be approved in the next few years due to the confidentiality of the FDA approval process, Budde says. Based on news reports, however, as well as new drug approvals in other countries, he speculates drugs that may be introduced in the next 10 years may include additional Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors for dogs with atopic disease, more anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody treatments for dogs and cats with osteoarthritis, and new gliflozins to treat other diseases and species such as kidney disease in dogs and insulin dysregulation in horses.

Chronic diseases are a focus of R&D at Elanco.

"Thanks to medical advancements, pets are living longer, but also experiencing many of the same diseases that we are seeing in humans — chronic kidney disease, diabetes, anemia, dermatitis," Tugel says. "Elanco intends to harness insights from human medicine to innovate and address these challenges, focusing on areas like oncology, cardiology, and chronic kidney disease."

"We need to continue to provide veterinarians and pet owners with solutions that help improve both preventative care and chronic diseases such as allergies, osteoarthritis, diabetes and kidney disease," she adds.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to drive new drug discoveries, Goldstein adds.

"The use of AI does enable us to look at more options and narrow down potential molecules faster than before," he says. "We have a very robust research and development pipeline and as the market grow, the potential grows for developing more than we ever have."

Julie A. Jacob is a communications professional and writer. She lives in Wisconsin with her poodle.

References

1. Animal Drug Approvals. FDA. Accessed 11. Oct. 2025. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/approved-animal-drug-products-green-book/recent-animal-drug-approvals
2. FDA Conditionally Approves Drug for Management of Ventricular Hypertrophy in Cats. FDA. 12 March 2025. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-conditionally-approves-drug-management-ventricular-hypertrophy-cats
3. Canine Parvovirus Monoclonal Antibody. Elanco. https://my.elanco.com/us/parvovirus
4. Zoetis Announces FDA Approval of Solensia (frunevetmab) to Control Osteoarthritis Pain in Cats. Zoetis. 13 Jan. 2022. https://news.zoetis.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2022/Zoetis-Announces-FDA-Approval-of-Solensia-frunevetmab-injection-to-Control-Osteoarthritis-Pain-in-Cats/default.aspx
5. Zoetis Announces U.S. FDA Approval of Librela (bedinvetmab injection to Control Osteoarthritis Pain in Dogs. Zoetis. 5 May 2023. https://news.zoetis.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2023/Zoetis-Announces-U.S.-FDA-Approval-of-Librela-bedinvetmab-injection-to-Control-Osteoarthritis-OA-Pain-in-Dogs/default.aspx
6. Gilvertmab; An Innovate Option for Treating Cancer. Merck Animal Health. https://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/species/canine/products/gilvetmab-product-overview
7. Two New Drugs to Treat Diabetes in Cats – Is One Right for Your Cat? FDA. 14. Dec. 2023. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/two-new-drugs-treat-diabetes-cats-one-right-your-cat
8. Dear Veterinary Letter Notifying Veterinarians about Adverse Events Reported in Dogs Treated with Librela (Bedinvetmab Injection). FDA. 16. Dec. 2024. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/dear-veterinarian-letter-notifying-veterinarians-about-adverse-events-reported-dogs-treated-librela