K-State professors receive patent for new drug for dogs
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KSNW) — Four professors at Kansas State University have been notified that the drug they developed to treat pain in dogs has received a patent.
Butch KuKanich, professor of pharmacology; Kate KuKanich, a professor of small animal internal medicine; David Rankin, a clinical professor and head of veterinary anesthesiology; and Charles Locuson, director of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics or DMPK, worked with Agios Pharmaceuticals to develop the drug.
The drug combines the existing opioid methadone with another drug to improve the drug’s pain relief and make it last longer per dose. A third drug called Naltrexone, which is an opioid antagonist, blocks the intoxicating effects of opioids in humans and prevents physical dependence to keep the drug from being abused by people.
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“There’s a real need for efficacious oral pain medication,” Rankin, a board-certified veterinary anesthesiologist says in a news release from the university. “The development of this formulation of methadone is going to help a lot of dogs, and I’m pleased to have played a role in getting it ready for patients.”
Current treatments for moderate to severe pain in dogs are very limited. While non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for dogs exist, just like they do for humans, many of them can have mild to severe side effects, including death in severe cases.
“The ability to provide effective pain control for our canine patients is of utmost importance in companion animal medicine,” says Kate KuKanich. “This novel opioid strategy shows great promise in helping us to treat our patients’ pain, but also addresses the larger public health concerns of minimizing opportunities for opioid abuse potential in our communities.”
For more information about the College of Veterinary Medicine, click here.
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