Investigational drug shows promise for treating feline obesity

A novel GLP-1 therapy in development has shown promise for safely reducing food intake and limiting weight gain in cats, according to new research from the Akston biosciences company. Investigators also found the weekly therapy (AKS-562c; Akston) to be well tolerated in felines over a period of 12 weeks with no detection of treatment-related toxicity nor treatment-emergent antidrug antibodies.¹

Feline obesity is increasingly common and is the most frequently observed nutritional disorder in domestic cats.² There are limited pharmacologic options for treating feline obesity, according to investigators. The study sought to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and immunogenicity of 3 therapy candidates.¹

The new research was presented during the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine’s 2026 annual conference, the ACVIM Forum, in Seattle, Washington. The study tested the novel GLP-1 fusion protein candidates AKS-562c, AKS-564c and AKS-572c, to assess the effects on food intake, body weight and body condition score (BCS). None of the candidates are currently approved by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine for use in animals.¹

In a dvm360 interview at the ACVIM Forum, Andrea R. Delpero, senior manager-pharmacology for Akston and the study’s lead author, said the investigation was conducted in a preclinical setting with felines about the age of 1 year that were not overweight. “We tested food intake, body weight, [BCS], blood glucose, and we also did an extensive analysis of their blood chemistry and other veterinary examinations,” she said.

Sixteen healthy male cats were group-housed during the study and randomly assigned to receive 1 of the 3 GLP-1 candidates. They were all fed a once-daily commercial maintenance diet and provided with water. During a 2-week baseline period, food allocation was adjusted to assess voluntary intake with approximately 10% food refusal. Studied felines were administered 12 weekly subcutaneous injections (o.1-0.4 mg/kg dose escalation).¹

Investigators found that, of the 3 GLP-1 candidates, AKS-562c generated the greatest and most sustained reduction in food intake.¹ “It was very significant to their starting food intake,” Delpero said.

AKS-562c also demonstrated “significantly lower” mean body weight percentage from Day 14 through Day 84.¹ “We did not see any weight loss, which is good, because these are normal-sized cats, but we did see a sustained body weight where the other groups, including the vehicle control, kind of went up because these are younger cats still kind of growing,” Delpero said.

The investigators observed no treatment-related abnormalities nor evidence of toxicity, while fructosamine, fasting glucose, liver enzymes, and bilirubin remained in reference ranges.¹ Delpero also noted as a good pharmacokinetic (PK) profile in these cats with AKS-562c. “Most importantly, when we stopped dosing, we saw a decrease in the PK,” she said.

An objective of studying the GLP-1 candidates was to test their safety in healthy cats before moving on to obese felines.¹ “Overall in this preclinical setting, we got good safety with blood glucose, the body condition, we saw no anti-drug antibodies, injection site reactions were not observed, so it was very safe and tolerable, and we did see some efficacy with reducing that food intake,” Delpero said.

Obesity limits a cat’s physical activity and compromises its quality of life. Significant overweight can also exacerbate several serious disorders, according to the Cornell Feline Health Center at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York. Osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, and diabetes are among the conditions that can be aggravated by overweight. “Cardiovascular health can also be impaired by obesity, since excessive weight places an extra burden on a cat’s heart and vascular system,” the feline center notes.²

The GLP-1 candidate investigators concluded that AKS-562c is a promising candidate for future studies in obesity treatment.¹ “This study was pretty successful, and we're excited to see where it goes in the future,” Delpero said.

References

1. Delpero A, Moore E, Lancaster M, et al. Novel weekly GLP-1 therapy was well tolerated and reduced food intake in cats. Presented at: American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum; June 11-13, 2026. Seattle, WA.
2. Cornell Feline Health Center. Obesity. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Accessed June 17, 2026. https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/obesity