The Cat Health Company Reports Positive PURR-001 Clinical Results and Vetro-Led Licensing

A clinical study of 35 geriatric cats reported significant gains in skeletal muscle with PURR-001, drug gets out-licensed to pharma company.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A once-weekly oral therapeutic for age-related muscle loss in cats outperformed placebo on both body mass and muscle thickness in a state-supervized placebo-controlled double-blind multi-site clinical trial in Europe, The Cat Health Company (TCHC) announced today. The company is licensing the program to pharma strategics, reporting the European first contract signed with Vetro Solutions as its lead, moving it into manufacturing and regulatory development across multiple markets.

Cats on PURR-001 gained an average of 7% in body mass over the 12 weeks, compared with 1% in the placebo group. Investigators also measured the epaxial muscles by ultrasound. Thickness increased by an average of 23% in treated patients against 9% on placebo. Across the study population, epaxial thickness explained 48% of the variance in body mass.

Hematology and serum biochemistry panels stayed within normal limits over the course of the study at weeks 0, 6 and 12 and adverse events occurred at similar rates in both arms. Full results, safety data and methods are in the preprint [preprintlink].

Alex Bacita, COO & co-founder (TCHC): “There are 41 million geriatric cats (over 10 years of age) across the US and EU, and there's no approved drug for age-related muscle loss. Pet parents deserve more time with companion cats. Muscle is just the beginning.”

Under the licensing agreement, the pharma group takes on industrial-scale manufacturing, regulatory dossier preparation and regional distribution. Financial terms are not disclosed at this time.

Commercial infrastructure now covers seven major European markets, with letters of intent in place for further territories outside of Europe. TCHC has retained full U.S. and international commercialization rights, which it intends to assign in the coming quarters.

Alex Voda, CEO & co-founder (TCHC): “Vetro has spent years getting veterinary products through European regulators and into clinics. We could have spent three years building that ourselves, factory lines, dossiers, distribution channels; instead we spend the majority of our time on the next drugs. They saw the data early and moved fast. We're glad to have Vetro as experienced partners.”

PURR-001 is the first clinical-stage therapeutic from The Cat Health Company's computational drug-development engine. It went from start to European manufacturing and distribution deal in less than 2 years.

Dumitru Fodor, CEO (VETRO): “At Vetro, we have always believed that innovation in veterinary medicine advances faster when strong scientific ideas are supported by the right manufacturing, regulatory and commercial infrastructure. We see significant potential in The Cat Health Company and in its innovative approach to developing new veterinary treatments. The clinical results represent an important milestone for PURR-001 and the beginning of its next stage of development. Through this partnership, Vetro will support the product’s progression toward regulatory authorization and commercialization.”

PURR-001 is investigational. It has not received marketing authorization in any territory and is not available for prescriptions at this time.

For its next steps, TCHC will develop and publish science from other aging targets in cats, including but not limited to deadly age-related chronic kidney diseases, neuronal and cardiovascular diseases. TCHC will also announce a US expansion, including novel office and laboratory space for its research projects, and collaborations with leading companies and scientists focused on aging around the world.

About Vetro Solutions
Vetro Solutions is a European veterinary pharmaceutical company founded by veterinarian and entrepreneur Dumitru Fodor. At its GMP-compliant manufacturing facility, Vetro develops and manufactures pharmaceutical products in liquid and powder forms. The facility includes controlled production environments, cleanrooms and an in-house quality-control laboratory supporting physicochemical analyses and stability studies. Beyond manufacturing, Vetro supports the preparation of the documentation required to advance veterinary products toward regulatory authorization and commercialization. Through its industry experience and commercial distribution networks, the company supports the development and market readiness of innovative veterinary pharmaceutical products.

About The Cat Health Company
The Cat Health Company develops medications against age-related diseases, focused on accelerated feline clinical validations. It is founded by a team of scientists from University of Oxford UK, Buck Institute of Aging Research US, University of Manchester UK and major biotech industry players such as Charles River Labs, Deep Science Ventures, Genevia Technologies and others. The company is backed by strategic biotech angels (Sonia Arrison, Alex Zhavoronkov), as well as European (Early Game Ventures II) and United States (AniVC and Portfolia's Active Aging Longevity Fund II) Venture Capital funds.

Alexandru-Ioan Voda
The Cat Health Company
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