Galliprant now available for canine osteoarthritis patients

Elanco Animal Health has announced that Galliprant (grapiprant tablets), a first-in-class piprant, is now available to veterinarians for once-daily use in dogs with osteoarthritis (OA), according to a company release. Galliprant can be used in patients as young as 9 months weighing 8 pounds or more, and most dogs can be dosed once a day with a whole or half tablet.

Galliprant is the first piprant (a non-COX-inhibiting prostaglandin receptor antagonist, or PRA) approved for use in veterinary medicine, the release states. It targets the clinical signs of OA by specifically blocking the prostaglandin EP4 receptor, which is the primary mediator of OA pain and inflammation, while not inhibiting the production of housekeeping prostanoids that maintain homeostatic functions.

“With Galliprant, we have a medication that provides targeted pain relief from the earliest diagnosis of canine OA while reducing the impact on gastrointestinal, kidney and liver homeostasis,” says Tony Rumschlag, DVM,  Elanco's director of regional consulting veterinarians, in the release.

In a placebo-controlled field study of 285 dogs with OA in 16 sites, both veterinary and owner assessments found statistically significant improvement in pain interference and pain severity compared with placebo on days 7, 14, 21 and 28. The most common adverse reactions were vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and lethargy, according to the release.

Galliprant was developed by Aratana Therapeutics and received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016. Elanco subsequently obtained exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and market Galliprant globally, and it co-promotes the product with Aratana in the United States.