The Ozempic Boom Has Reportedly Found Its Next Customer, And It’s Not Human

As GLP-1 drugs have reshaped obesity treatment for people, companies across health care and consumer industries have been looking for the next market. That shift has now reached veterinary medicine, where experimental weight-loss therapies for cats are being tested in the U.S. The current work is still in the clinical-trial stage, but it marks one of the clearest signs yet that pet obesity is becoming a drug-development target.

Two U.S. companies are testing feline GLP-1 treatments

The clearest confirmed development is that two U.S. companies are now running early-stage programs aimed at feline obesity. CNBC reported on July 18, 2026, that Akston Biosciences is sponsoring a Cornell University clinical study of a once-weekly GLP-1 therapy for overweight and obese cats, while San Francisco-based OKAVA Pharmaceuticals has begun testing a long-acting implant designed to deliver the medicine for up to six months. Neither product is approved for sale, and CNBC stated there is currently no commercial “Ozempic for cats.”

The Akston-backed Cornell study is evaluating about 70 overweight or obese cats over roughly three months, according to Cornell’s study listing and Akston’s November 25, 2025 announcement. Cornell identified the drug candidate as AKS-562c and said preclinical work in laboratory cats found it appeared safe and effective at limiting food intake. Akston said the therapy is designed as a once-weekly treatment for weight management in client-owned domestic cats.

OKAVA’s program moved on a separate timeline. The company announced on December 2, 2025, that the first cat had been dosed in its MEOW-1 study of OKV-119, which it described as a miniature subdermal exenatide implant. OKAVA said the implant is designed to provide continuous GLP-1 delivery for as long as six months, and ABC News reported the study is examining up to 50 cats with weight assessed at three months and follow-up continuing for six months.

What is confirmed in the U.S., and what is still unknown

The confirmed geography in the public record is national, not local. Cornell University’s veterinary college in New York is conducting Akston’s clinical study, and OKAVA is based in San Francisco, but the available reports do not show a full public list of all trial sites or where every participating pet owner lives. The companies also have not released a comprehensive state-by-state breakdown of enrolled cats.

What is confirmed is the scale of the underlying problem these companies are targeting. CNBC cited data from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention showing that 61% of cats and 59% of dogs evaluated by U.S. veterinary professionals in 2022 were classified as overweight or obese. That makes feline obesity a large enough issue to attract both biotech developers and established pet-care companies.

What is not yet known is whether these treatments will prove safe, effective, affordable, or widely used in ordinary veterinary practice. Top-line clinical-trial results are expected later in 2026, according to CNBC, but no approved veterinary GLP-1 obesity drug for cats has been announced. Public pricing has also not been released, and that could be a major factor because pet care is typically paid out of pocket.

Why pet obesity is attracting drugmakers and food companies

The business case is tied to both medical need and rising pet spending. CNBC, citing Morgan Stanley analyst Simeon Gutman, reported that the U.S. pet economy is shifting from simple premiumization toward “medicalization,” with owners spending more on veterinary care, diagnostics, supplements, pharmacy services, and therapeutic nutrition. Morgan Stanley estimates U.S. pet food will total about $65 billion in 2026 and overall U.S. pet spending will rise from roughly $196 billion in 2025 to more than $240 billion by 2030.

Cats are a particularly notable target because weight management can be difficult without medication. CNBC reported that, unlike dogs, cats cannot simply be exercised through longer walks, often resist dietary changes, and can be hard to medicate consistently. That helps explain why developers are testing both a weekly injectable approach and a long-acting implant designed to reduce adherence problems.

For pet owners, the immediate takeaway is that these products are still experimental and not yet available through veterinarians as approved obesity medicines. In the near term, the broader market is likely to keep emphasizing prescription diets, structured weight-management programs, diagnostics, and longevity-focused nutrition while trial data is gathered. Even the companies and analysts cited in current reporting have said it is too early to assume pet GLP-1 drugs will mirror the scale of the human market.