Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dirlotapide helps overweight dogs lose weight safely in Europe studies
By Gossellin, J et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics·2007·Pfizer Ltd, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: An evaluation of dirlotapide to reduce body weight of client-owned dogs in two placebo-controlled clinical studies in Europe.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of overweight dogs participated in a study to see if a medication called dirlotapide could help them lose weight. The dogs were given dirlotapide or a placebo (a fake treatment) for several months, and those on dirlotapide lost an average of about 15% of their body weight. While some dogs experienced mild side effects like vomiting and diarrhea, these issues resolved on their own. Overall, dirlotapide was found to be safe and effective for helping dogs shed excess pounds and improve their body condition.
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Abstract
The clinical efficacy for weight loss and safety of dirlotapide in dogs were evaluated in two multi-centre studies with parallel designs. Overweight, adult dogs (n = 245) of various breeds were randomized to treatment with dirlotapide or placebo in a 2:1 ratio. Dirlotapide was administered orally once daily to dogs at an initial dose of 0.05 mg/kg/day commencing on day 0 and doubled after 14 days. Every 28 days, dogs were examined, weighed, body condition scores (BCS) were recorded, and dose was adjusted to meet weight loss targets. Each study comprised three consecutive phases: weight-loss (up to day 196); weight-stabilization (84 days); and post-treatment (28 days). pre-treatment feeding and exercise regimens were continued during treatment. Dirlotapide-treated dogs showed mean weight loss of 15.9% (study A) and 14.0% (study B) by the end of weight loss phase (up to day 196). Percentage weekly weight losses for dirlotapide were significantly greater than for placebo (P < or = 0.0002). Emesis and diarrhoea were experienced in both treatments but were more frequent with dirlotapide; resolution was spontaneous. BCS improved for 75.7-82.5% of dogs on dirlotapide treatment compared with 15.4-41.4% for placebo. Mean dirlotapide dosage at end of weight-loss phase was 0.38 (study A) and 0.29 (study B) mg/kg initial body weight/day. Dirlotapide was found to be clinically safe and effective in the reduction of body weight in overweight dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17567517/