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Elanco announced the U.S. availability of Elura on March 31, 2021. The prescription medicine, capromorelin oral solution, is indicated to manage weight loss in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD)—not to cure or reverse CKD. FDA approved Elura in October 2020.
What Elura treats
Elura is capromorelin oral solution for cats. The FDA indication is management of weight loss in cats with CKD. Capromorelin is a ghrelin receptor agonist that FDA says is known to increase appetite and weight gain. Elanco says the weight-gain effect is thought to involve increased food intake and metabolic changes. Neither source describes Elura as a treatment for the underlying kidney disease.
Elanco’s March 2021 launch announcement summarized the pivotal 56-day field study: more than 80% of cats receiving Elura gained weight, compared with approximately 40% of control cats. Elanco also reported that significant weight gain was seen as early as day 15. The FDA describes the study as involving client-owned cats with a history of CKD and documented unintended weight loss; its account says cats receiving Elura gained weight while controls lost weight. These percentages describe that study period, not a guarantee for an individual cat.
The FDA also describes a six-month safety study in healthy cats. That is not evidence of six months of effectiveness in cats with CKD.
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Elura and Varenzin-CA1 address different CKD complications
Elanco later launched Varenzin-CA1 for nonregenerative anemia associated with CKD. It is not an alternative formulation of Elura, and the medicines have distinct indications.
| Medicine | Target complication | Active ingredient and formulation | Regulatory status and evidence described in the sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elura | Weight loss in cats with CKD | Capromorelin oral solution | FDA approval announced October 19, 2020; Elanco announced U.S. availability March 31, 2021. FDA describes a 56-day field effectiveness study in cats with CKD and a separate six-month safety study in healthy cats. |
| Varenzin-CA1 | Nonregenerative anemia associated with CKD | Molidustat oral suspension | Conditional FDA approval; Elanco announced first shipments September 7, 2023. Elanco reported that 50% of treated cats had increased red blood cell count by day 28 and 75% by day 56. |
The Varenzin-CA1 response figures are Elanco-reported study results in its 2023 launch release, not a head-to-head comparison with Elura. The FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine statement reproduced in that release called Varenzin-CA1 the first drug to receive conditional approval for use in cats and described the expanded conditional approval pathway. That status is distinct from Elura’s FDA approval.
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Safety, prescription access, and veterinary oversight
Elura is available by prescription only. The FDA notes that diagnosing and managing CKD and monitoring for adverse reactions require professional veterinary expertise. Vomiting and hypersalivation were the most common adverse reactions in the studies summarized by FDA. Elanco’s safety information also lists inappetence, behavior change, and lethargy.
- Elanco cautions that serum glucose may rise for several hours after dosing. Use in cats with current or historical diabetes has not been evaluated and may not be appropriate.
- Elanco advises caution if a cat may have cardiac disease, severe dehydration, or hepatic dysfunction.
- FDA says Elura is supplied in a 15 mL bottle with an oral dosing syringe. Check the current label and ask a veterinarian about suitability, dosing, monitoring, and access.
For Varenzin-CA1, Elanco lists precautions for cats with a history of seizures or a predisposition to thromboembolic disease. It recommends regular hematocrit or packed cell volume monitoring because polycythemia may occur. Common adverse reactions named in the 2023 release include vomiting, increased systolic blood pressure, and a mild, transient rise in serum potassium. The product is not for pregnant, lactating, or breeding cats, or cats with known molidustat hypersensitivity; it has not been evaluated in cats younger than one year.
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How the launch fits into feline CKD care
Elanco’s 2021 release cited the 2016 ISFM guidelines for an estimate that more than 30–40% of cats over 10 years old have some degree of CKD. Its 2023 Varenzin-CA1 release cited a 2011 review for a separate estimate of 15–30% among feline patients over 12. These figures use different age groups and source contexts, so they should not be treated as directly comparable.
Elura’s launch was a specific addition to the treatment options for one CKD-associated problem: weight loss. Varenzin-CA1 later addressed another: nonregenerative anemia. Choosing or monitoring either medicine is a veterinary decision based on the cat’s condition and the product’s current labeling.
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Key dates
- October 19, 2020: FDA announced Elura’s approval.
- October 28, 2020: Elanco issued its approval announcement.
- March 31, 2021: Elanco announced Elura’s availability to U.S. veterinarians.
- September 7, 2023: Elanco announced first shipments of Varenzin-CA1 after conditional FDA approval.
Sources
- FDA: Approval of the first drug to treat weight loss in cats with CKD
- Elanco: Elura U.S. launch announcement, March 31, 2021
- Elanco: Elura FDA approval announcement, October 28, 2020
- Elanco: First Varenzin-CA1 shipments, September 7, 2023
- Elanco: Chronic kidney disease product information
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