Chronic kidney disease is common among older cats, affecting up to 40 percent of felines aged more than 10, and 80 percent of those over 15

Chronic kidney disease is common among older cats, affecting up to 40 percent of felines aged more than 10, and 80 percent of those over 15

 Philip FONG

A Japanese startup has filed for approval of a new drug to treat chronic kidney disease in cats, the founder said on Monday, offering hope for a common affliction that currently has no definitive cure.

The Tokyo-based Institute for AIM Medicine filed the treatment with the agriculture ministry on Friday, researcher Toru Miyazaki said, after a trial showed the drug significantly extended the life of afflicted cats.

"Most cats suffer from chronic kidney disease, and many die from end-stage renal failure or uraemia," Miyazaki, a former professor of the University of Tokyo, told AFP. 

"We undertook drug development with the aim of overcoming this situation and alleviating the financial and physical burden on both cats and their owners," he said.

Miyazaki's research came under spotlight five years ago when he had to halt the development of the drug due to a shortage of research funding during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Following media reports, he received a flood of donations from cat lovers and owners totalling nearly 300 million yen ($2 million) between 2021 and 2022.

Chronic kidney disease is common among older cats, affecting up to 40 percent of felines aged more than 10, and 80 percent of those over 15, according to Cornell Feline Health Center in the US.

It is "a progressive disease with no definitive cure", the center said.

Miyazaki's study, published in the Veterinary Journal in February, tracked 11 cats that received the treatment and 15 non-treated cats for a year.

The cumulative survival rate for the treated cats was between 80 and 83 percent, while it was 20 percent for the non-treated cats.

nf/fox

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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