Zoetis Inc. announced that Health Canada has approved Portela?? (relfovetmab injection) for the alleviation of pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA) in cats. Designed to provide three months of OA pain relief with a single injection, Portela targets anti-nerve growth factor (NGF), which is a key mediator of OA pain and inflammation.
In a nine-month field trial in Europe, Portela demonstrated effectiveness in alleviating OA pain and was found to be well tolerated, including by cats identified with kidney disease at IRIS stage 1, 2 or 31. Portela is also approved in the European Union (EU), and Zoetis anticipates making Portela commercially available in Canada and the EU in 2026. Although the disease cannot be cured, much can be done to control the associated pain and improve quality of life.
Even with up to 40% of all cats having clinical signs of OA23, pet owners often overlook these signs, and as a result only 18% of affected cats are diagnosed with OA pain by veterinary professionals. Identifying and treating OA pain is important because chronic pain has a negative impact on many aspects of a cat's health. In addition to gait and movement, chronic pain impacts sleep, relationships, and cognition.
Portela now provides a convenient, long-acting therapy to reduce OA pain - particularly beneficial for cats that are difficult to medicate regularly. Zoetis continues to advance care for animals around the globe with a robust pipeline fueled by lifecycle innovation, geographic expansion and new product innovation. Portela joins Solensia®?
(frunevetmab injection) in the company's growing portfolio of OA pain products for cats. Like Solensia, Portela is a monoclonal antibody that targets nerve growth factor (NGF); however, Portela is designed to alleviate pain associated with OA for a longer period of time by binding to a different site on NGF.
