Dog longevity drug study gets first-ever nod from FDA

What's the news: The Food and Drug Administration just gave its "program concurrence" to dog longevity company Loyal. This means Loyal will have the opportunity to prove, via a rigorous scientific study, that its proposed drug actually extends dog lifespan. If successful, Loyal will then get FDA approval for its drug.

Why this is a big deal: On the one hand, if Loyal is successful, it might actually extend dog lifespan and, more importantly, dog youthspan. Speaking as a Youthspan Hound who wants to stay healthy and youthful, I'm all for that. But the current news is still bigger.

This is the first time the FDA has given its nod to any kind of drug approval process explicitly having to do with longevity. And Loyal CEO Celine Halioua has stated that her goal — in case Loyal is successful with dogs — is to trial the same drug in humans also.

It's not a far-fetched idea. Most drugs progress from animal trials and human studies, and an effective dog longevity drug is more promising than an effective mouse longevity drug. That's because dogs and humans share their environment, and approximately 75% of what drives longevity is believed to be environmental, and just 25% genetic.

What if Loyal isn’t successful? Regardless of what happens in the future, this is a bit of good news. The very fact of FDA concurring with Loyal's longevity study might open up the doors to other biotech companies. Who knows? In a few years time, we might have a drug on the market that significantly extends dog and then even human youthspan.