Good things come to those dogs who wait. Aratana Therapeutics Inc. has quickly earned its second approval of the year from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Less than a month after winning FDA endorsement of Galliprant (grapiprant tablets) for the control of osteoarthritis pain and inflammation in dogs, the Leawood, Kan., company on Tuesday reported the approval of another therapeutic, Entyce. The new product is made to stimulate canine appetites. Like Galliprant, Entyce (capromorelin oral solution) isn’t yet ready for veterinary patients. “We are currently scaling up our commercial operations to have inventory for launch,” company spokeswoman Rachel Reiff said. “As is typical with veterinary medicine product launches, part of our strategy to raise awareness for the therapeutic availability is to time the launch to coincide with a significant conference, like NAVC.” Entyce is scheduled to roll out at the NAVC conference in February 2017. Commercial sales of Galliprant are expected to begin this fall. Aratana described Entyce as a “first-of-its-kind therapeutic to treat inappetence in dogs.” The flavored liquid, which will be available by prescription, is formulated to stimulate appetite by mimicking the hormone ghrelin. “Nearly 10 million dogs are diagnosed with inappetence each year and we believe Entyce will fulfill a significant unmet need,” said company President and CEO Steven St. Peter, M.D. Entyce is not intended for breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. Possible side effects include diarrhea, vomiting, polydipsia and hypersalivation.
