FDA grants full approval to Laverdia for canine lymphoma

The FDA has granted full approval to verdinexor tablets (Laverdia; Anivive Lifesciences) for the treatment of dogs with lymphoma. The approval gives veterinarians a promising new oral avenue for managing the disease in dogs.

Cancer cells can disable normal cellular growth regulation by driving tumor-suppressing proteins out of the nucleus. Verdinexor tablets target this system by blocking the exit route, allowing these proteins to remain normally active, helping control the growth and prevent the spread of lymphoma cells. According to the FDA, verdinexor tablets is selectively cytotoxic for tumor cells.²

The drug is administered twice per week with at least 72 hours between doses, at a starting dose of 1.25 mg/kg.² If the medication is tolerated after 2 weeks, the dose can be increased to 1.5 mg/kg, still keeping each dose at least 72 hours apart.²

Additionally, each dose must be given with food or immediately after a meal. “This increases the amount of drug absorbed into the bloodstream,” noted the FDA in a news release announcing the drug’s approval.¹

Oncologists have observed the drug has a very high response rate against T-cell lymphoma, Craig A. Clifford, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), told dvm360 in an interview last January,³ an observation also backed by Pamela D. Jones, DVM, DACVIM (Oncology), DACVR (Radiation Oncology).⁴

In a clinical field study of 160 dogs with B‑cell or T‑cell lymphoma, those treated with verdinexor tablets experienced a significantly longer time to disease progression, 37 days versus 23 days in the control group (p = 0.011), according to the FDA.² The study included dogs with newly diagnosed or relapsed lymphoma, and 134 dogs were included in the effectiveness analysis.

The drug also has not been shown to cause resistance to other chemotherapy types, Jones, noted in a Fetch dvm360 Conference lecture on canine lymphoma last month.⁴

The full drug approval follows 4 annual renewals of the FDA’s conditional approval, after which the drug’s sponsor, Anivive Lifesciences, created the necessary effectiveness data for a full approval. The FDA first granted conditional approval to verdinexor tablets in January 2021 through the agency’s Minor Use/Minor Species pathway, a program designed to incentivize development of drugs for uncommon conditions, or minor uses, in major (dogs, cats, horses, cattle, pigs, turkeys and chickens) or minor species. According to the FDA, fewer than 80,000 dogs are affected by canine lymphoma each year, qualifying verdinexor tablets as a minor use in a major species.¹

“It's not meant to be a silver bullet, a cure-all for lymphoma,” said Clifford of the drug,³ “but to me, knowing that 80% of lymphomas are left untreated, this gives the primary care [practitioner] a game changer—something else that they can utilize, other than just prednisone.”

“We’re expanding access, meaning more cases are going to get treated, and it’s an unmet need, and I think this drug checks both of those boxes,” continued Clifford.³

References

1. FDA grants full approval to first FDA-approved oral treatment for canine lymphoma. News release. US Food and Drug Administration. January 16, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/cvm-updates/fda-grants-full-approval-first-oral-treatment-lymphoma-dogs?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
2. Freedom of information summary. US Food and Drug Administration. December 18, 2025. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://animaldrugsatfda.fda.gov/adafda/app/search/public/document/downloadFoi/17795
3. Bautista-Alejandre A, Clifford CA. About the novel drug for canine lymphoma. dvm360. January 6, 2025. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/about-the-novel-drug-for-canine-lymphoma
4. Alaburda B. Key takeaways: Practical approaches to canine lymphoma diagnosis and management. dvm360. December 6, 2025. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.dvm360.com/view/key-takeaways-practical-approaches-to-canine-lymphoma-diagnosis-and-management