The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted conditional approval to a novel drug that increases a dog’s lifespan. The canine antiaging pill that helps pudgy pooches lose weight and stay healthier longer was developed by the biotech start-up company Loyal after decades of research

According to Business Wire, Loyal’s drug, currently called LOY-002, was awarded conditional approval under the Reasonable Expectation of Effectiveness section of its application. This means that the daily pill has a “reasonable expectation of effectiveness” in prolonging the life of the family dog.

The Center for Veterinary Medicine, an arm of the FDA, says it still needs to clear the drug for safety before it can be prescribed by vets to dogs 10 years and older weighing at least 14 pounds, says The Washington Post,

Celine Halioua, CEO of Loyal, predicts that the process should be completed by the end of 2025. While the exact ingredients of the Loyal life-extending pill haven’t been revealed, it appears to work like a canine Ozempic, without suppressing the appetite and without the need for special doggy diets. Large breeds, such as Great Danes or Newfoundlands, will require an injection of the drug and that treatment will take longer to manufacture and get to market.

The purpose of the new drug is to boost a dogs’ metabolic fitness which involves converting nutrients into energy and hormone regulation which declines in humans and canines with age. The preventative therapy aims to reduce age-associated diseases that afflict overweight senior dogs. Halioua hopes to make the drug affordable to all dog owners with a cost of less than $100 monthly.

“My goal is that every eligible dog is on a longevity drug for them to be healthy longer,” Halioua said, adding that she prefers to aim for mass adoption over “jacking up the price and getting the millionaire dogs on the drug.”

But celebrities who can afford big bucks to keep their dogs alive longer are looking forward to Loyal’s antiaging pill for their pets.

“Everything I do is for my three dogs,” said writer-director Lee Sung Jin in his 2024 Emmy acceptance speech. “So the FDA, if you could please fast-track that canine antiaging pill, that would be so lovely.”