First Drug for Obese Dogs approved by FDA

  U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved today Pfizer's Stentrol (dirlotapide), the first prescription drug to manage obesity in dogs. The new drug provides for the veterinary prescription use of dirlotapide solution in dogs for the management of obesity.

  Pfizer's Stentrol (dirlotapide) reduces appetite and a dog's ability to absorb fat, the agency said. Overweight pets, like people, are at higher risk of health problems ranging from cardiovascular conditions and joint problems to diabetes, the FDA said.

  "This is a welcome addition to animal therapies, because dog obesity appears to be increasing," said Stephen Sundlof, director of the Center for Veterinary Medicine at the Food and Drug Administration.

  Veterinarians generally define a dog that weighs 20 percent more than its ideal weight as obese. Five percent of the nearly 62 million dogs in the United States are obese, and another 20-30 percent are overweight, surveys show.

  Stentrol it's not for dog owners. The FDA discourages the drug's use in humans and says that is not intended for human use, should be kept away from children, and may cause adverse reactions in people, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, nausea and vomiting.

Source : FDA