Cat Health Care, Lifestyle

FDA Approves First Arthritis Drug for Cats

By Jackie Brown

, March 4, 2022

In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Solensia (frunevetmab), an injectable medication given by a veterinarian once a month to help control osteoarthritis pain in cats. Although several FDA-approved drugs are available to treat arthritis pain in dogs, veterinarians have not had an FDA-approved medication to treat arthritis pain in cats until now.

Solensia is a cat-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), a type of protein that finds and binds itself to another protein called nerve growth factor (NGF), stopping pain signals from reaching the cat’s brain.

Jackie Brown

Pet expert Jackie Brown has spent 20 years following her passion for animals as a writer and editor in the pet publishing industry. She is contributing writer for National Geographic’s Complete Guide to Pet Health, Behavior, and Happiness: The Veterinarian’s Approach to At-Home Animal Care (April 2019) and author of the book It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: Making Sense of Animal Phrases (Lumina Press, 2006). Jackie is a regular contributor to pet and veterinary industry media and is the former editor of numerous pet magazines, including Dog World, Natural Dog, Puppies 101, Kittens 101 and the Popular Cats Series. Prior to starting her career in publishing, Jackie spent eight years working in veterinary hospitals where she assisted veterinarians as they treated dogs, cats, rabbits, pocket pets, reptiles, birds and one memorable lion cub. She lives in Southern California with her husband, two sons and miniature poodle Jäger. Reach her at jackiebrownwriter.wordpress.com.

Comments

1 thought on “FDA Approves First Arthritis Drug for Cats”

E. Harper
March 29, 2022 at 12:21 pm
Found this and the FDA information very informative and encouraging for felines who are suffering from osteoarthritis pain. Thank-you.
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