The Federal Food and Drug Administartion (FDA) conditionally approved Varenzin-CA1 (molidustat oral suspension) for cats with nonregenerative anemia due to chronic kidney failure. This type of anemia is secondary to renal failure. Chronic kidney disease is a common ailment of senior cats.
In cases of anemia related to renal failure, the cat’s bone marrow is unable to keep ahead of the loss of red blood cells due to their aging and being damaged. When production falls behind, the cat becomes anemic, which means she doesn’t have enough red blood cells to provide the necessary oxygen to her cells. This lower level of production is often due to a low level of erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production.
Treatments for anemia associated with kidney disease revolve around blood transfusion, giving extra iron so that any red blood cells produced are healthy, and using erythropoietin supplements to encourage production. There are no erythropoietin supplements approved for cats, but Varenzin-CA1 stimulates production of erythropoietin in your cat’s kidneys. Increased levels of erythropoietin lead to increased production of red blood cells.
Currently, Varenzin-CA1 has conditional approval. That means is it considered safe for use in cats and is expected to be effective. Conditional approval means the drug can be used now, under veterinary prescription, to treat ill cats while the company continues to work toward full approval. The approval is given for a period of one year with the possibility of four renewals.
The initial study that has been completed had 23 cats with nonregenerative anemia related to kidney disease. Further studies will involve more cats.
Varenzin-CA1 is a liquid medication that is administered to cats once a day. It can be given for 30 consecutive days, followed by a week long pause before reinitiating therapy.
