The FDA has granted full approval of a drug to treat dogs with lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymph nodes and lymphatic system.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval of Laverdia, a drug to treat dogs with lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymph nodes and lymphatic system.
Dig deeper:
Laverdia is an oral treatment produced by Anivive Lifesciences, Inc., of Long Beach, California. The FDA says Laverdia prevents certain proteins from leaving the nucleus of cancer cells, which allows the proteins to control the growth and prevent the spread of cancerous cells.
The drug is only available by prescription from a licensed veterinarian and is administered by the dog’s owner while at home. The drug is given twice per week, immediately after eating, to increase the amount of drug absorbed into the bloodstream with at least 72 hours between doses.
The backstory:
In January 2021, the FDA granted Laverdia conditional approval through the Minor Use/Minor Species pathway, which is an option for drugs intended for minor uses in major species — dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens — or for minor species.
The FDA says canine lymphoma affects fewer than 80,000 dogs in the U.S. each year, which qualifies as a minor use in a major species.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This story was reported from Orlando.