TriviumVet, are delighted to be involved as a research collaborator with the Dog Aging Project, an innovative initiative that brings together a community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers to carry out the most ambitious canine science project in the world. The Dog Aging Project is centered on two fundamental goals: understanding how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging and intervening to increase health span, the period of life spent free from disease.

TriviumVet are focused on bridging the treatment gaps in companion animal health; as dogs have become a more integral part of people’s lives, their quality of life has improved resulting in more age-related illnesses that require new and innovative treatments. Two of our lead products in development are veterinary specific Rapamycin products for dogs and cats. The development of these products is what led us to initially engage with the Dog Aging Project. The ambitious goals of this ground-breaking research project and their clinical trial of the drug Rapamycin presented an opportunity for incredible synergy. Over the course of 18 months, we worked closely with the Dog Aging Project team to assess the suitability of our veterinary Rapamycin product for use in their research. Our product TRIV202F will be exclusively supplied to the Dog Aging Project as part of the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD) – an interventional study that is part of the overall longitudinal study. Dr. Matt Kaeberlein, co-director of the Dog Aging Project comments on the collaboration: “We are delighted to be working with TriviumVet and to have signed a collaboration agreement to use their novel veterinary formulation of Rapamycin for the TRIAD Trial.”

What is the Dog Aging Project?

The Dog Aging Project is an innovative initiative based in the United States that brings together a community of dogs, owners, veterinarians, researchers, and volunteers to carry out the most ambitious canine health study in the world. The Dog Aging Project is funded by the National Institute  on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. The team will follow tens of thousands of companion dogs for ten years to identify the biological and environmental factors that maximise healthy longevity. 

The goal of the Dog Aging Project

The goal of the Dog Aging Project is to understand how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence aging. That information will then be used to help dogs and people increase health span, the period of life spent free from disease. A subset of participating dogs will be selected to be part of a new clinical study (TRIAD) to explore the potential of the drug Rapamycin to improve health span. Key Facts about the DAP_2021-04-07

What is the TRIAD Trial

The aim of the Test of Rapamycin in Aging Dogs (TRIAD) is to conduct a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of a drug called Rapamycin. This study is a subset of the overall project that investigates the use of a drug (rapamycin) to potentially slow the aging process and prolong healthy life. Key Facts about TRIAD_2021-04-07

Rapamycin background

Rapamycin, also called sirolimus, was originally discovered in 1964 after being isolated from the bacterium Streptomyces hygroscopicus in a soil sample from Easter Island, and was found to be an active metabolite with antibiotic and antifungal properties. It was later found to have immunosuppressive and anti-proliferative properties, which sparked a scientific interest in deducing the compound’s mechanism of action. Much research has been carried out evaluating the positive effect of Rapamycin in the areas of health span and lifespan[1], reducing cancer incidence[2], improving cognitive function[3], reversing immune declines[4], restoring stem cell function[5] and reversing cardiac decline[6] in aged subjects.

Rapamycin is an FDA-approved drug for human use that has been used extensively in clinical medicine to prevent the rejection of

organ transplants. Though typically used as an immunosuppressant, its effects have also been explored for the treatment of other

conditions. Evidence from peer-reviewed published literature has demonstrated that treatment with Rapamycin improves markers of

cardiac health and function in dogs.

TriviumVet’s novel veterinary Rapamycin formulation

After extensive research and development TriviumVet have developed a novel veterinary Rapamycin formulation which delays release of the drug in order to maximise absorption and drug efficacy. TriviumVet are developing two Rapamycin products to treat cardiomyopathies in small animals: to treat DCM in dogs and HCM in cats. Clinical trials are currently taking place in these indications with promising early results.

To learn more about the Dog Aging Project you can visit their website on https://dogagingproject.org/