Last summer while spending time at Pfizer outside of Canterbury, Kent (birthplace of Viagra!), I was introduced to Slentrol, the first weight loss drug for dogs.
Now you may be wondering why on earth a pharmaceutical company would be willing to spend the money on licensing a veterinary drug, and your point would be valid. Slentrol (drug name dirlotapide) is a product of the quest for the Holy Grail of pharmaceuticals–a weight loss drug with benefits that outweigh the side effects. Many drugs have tried, and few have succeeded. Even Alli (orlistat), the new over the counter weight-loss drug, has a hefty list of side effects and doesn’t promise the effortless weight loss that most consumers desire. Alli works by decreasing fat absorption in the body by blocking the action of lipase, the enzyme that digests fat in the intestines.
Slentrol works via a more selective mechanism, blocking the transport of triglycerides into the blood stream (but not keeping the undigested fats in your intestinal track and thereby keeping those distasteful side effects to a minimum). Kudos to Pfizer because this mechanism is kind of genius, and it’d be a successful human drug, but…
Slentrol causes an elevation in liver enzymes in humans. What exactly does that mean? Well, it could mean nothing, but believe me, if Pfizer even thought that they could safely market this drug to humans, they would, so, though far be it from me to speculate on human medicine, I’d be a bit worried about taking this drug myself.
While at the Pfizer facilities, my classmates and I were able to visit with scientists in the both the research and development phase of the drug. As soon-to-be veterinarians, not only did we have questions about the indications for this drug, but we were also concerned about keeping our patients’ pills in our patients (and not their owners). Slentrol can be used in a biphasic weight loss plan in your dog (dogs only; Slentrol has definitely not been approved for use in cats) to take the weight off slowly and then keep the weight off. It’s a great addition to the arsenal vets have to fight canine obesity, along with low-fat high fiber diets and exercise… hmmm… sounds familiar.
Anyway, why this Slentrol-centric post? Well because the Colbert Report (one of my favorite shows) featured this dog drug on its segment “Cheating Death.” Colbert even references the dangers of humans taking veterinary drugs 
