Fixing the joints
I have a lovely, elderly, creaky labrador who struggles to get up of a morning but has consistently been sick with the painkillers my vet has prescribed. Have you any suggestions?
Neil says: You may be in luck. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are man-made proteins that behave like normal antibodies in the immune system. While we usually think of them being employed against bacteria and viruses (two mAbs have, for example, been used to good effect against COVID-19), they can also be designed to target different antigens, such as those found on cancer cells. Some clever people have now produced Librela (chemical name, bedinvetmab), which is the first, injectable, mAb licensed for the alleviation of osteoarthritic pain in dogs. It works by binding to a substance called Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), which, although vital for the development of the nervous system in the preand immediately post-natal periods, becomes troublesome in adults where it is released by damaged joint cells, causing pain. After only one injection of Librela, dogs with osteoarthritis exhibited increased mobility and decreased pain. Being a protein (and not a drug), side effects are minimal. The preparation can be given monthly and the safety and efficacy trials are impressive. In my view, it is the biggest advance in the treatment of canine osteoarthritis since the development of Metacam (which was more than 20 years ago now).