Daewoong confirms safety, efficacy of diabetes drug Envlo for dogs

Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s research that confirmed its diabetes drug Envlo’s safety and efficacy in animals has been published in Veterinary Medicine and Science, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal for research in all areas of veterinary medicine, the company said Friday.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical’s Envlo is the 36th new drug developed in South Korea. Launched in May last year, Envlo is an SGLT-2 inhibitor that has efficacy in reducing blood sugar levels in humans.

According to the study titled, “Effect of the sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor, DWP16001, as an add‐on therapy to insulin for diabetic dogs: A pilot study,” Daewoong Pharmaceutical said the company tested Envlo in diabetic dogs for a year, and confirmed the safety and efficacy of the drug.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical said diabetic dogs that were treated with Envlo once a day have shown an 18 percent decrease in their fructosamine levels, which indicates the average level of blood glucose control over the preceding 2-3 weeks.

Daewoong Pharmaceutical also said there were no significant side effects shown in the dogs treated with the drug during testing.

“The latest research has shown the safety and efficacy of SGLT-2 inhibitor Envlo’s use in pets with insulin-dependent diabetes,” said researcher Lim Soo. “Envlo could become a new treatment option in the veterinary drug market, which has no oral medication for diabetes yet.”

Daewoong Pharmaceutical is currently conducting phase 3 clinical trials for Envlo on dogs with diabetes, with the goal of submitting a drug application to the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency this year.