Help us
help you
help dogs

Partner with Loyal on clinical trials and help dogs everywhere while supporting the needs of your practice.

Join our mission to help dogs live longer, healthier lives

Our team of veterinarians, scientists, and dog lovers is pioneering new research focused on understanding and treating the underlying causes of canine aging. Participate in our clinical trials and bring important benefits to our research and to your practice.

Get involved

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Download our vets’ guide to products in development

Your veterinary colleagues at Loyal

Ashleigh Wenz
Ashleigh Wenz
Clinical Research Associate
Brandon Waldron
Brandon Waldron
Clinical Research Associate
Dr. Brennen McKenzie
Dr. Brennen McKenzie
MA, MSc, VMD
Director, Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Ellen Ratcliff
Dr. Ellen Ratcliff
DVM
Director, Clinical Development
Laura Sandoval
Laura Sandoval
MS, CVA
Veterinary Operations Project Associate
Laurel Yruretagoyena
Laurel Yruretagoyena
LVT
Clinical Development Project Manager
Dr. Mary Harrison
Dr. Mary Harrison
MA, VetMB, MRCVS
Veterinary Ambassador
Tennery Carttar
Tennery Carttar
Clinical Operations Manager
Dr. Venkata Adapala
Dr. Venkata Adapala
MS, DVM
Director, Clinical Operations

The importance of collaboration

For any dog health product there are three key stakeholders: the dog, their owner, and their vet. We design our products with each stakeholder’s perspective and needs in mind.

Veterinarians like you play a key role bringing academic discoveries to market safely and effectively. We take this partnership seriously and look forward to working together to bring forward a new class of medicines.

Our commitments
Verified

We’ll publish all our results—positive and negative—to support the further development of veterinary science and animal health.
We will only develop products that are proven to be safe.
Our clinical studies will be enrolled across the United States, facilitating access to as many dogs in need as possible.
We’ll collaborate with vets to ensure our products will serve compelling unmet needs in veterinary medicine.
Veterinarians—internal and external—are involved at every stage of product development.
What is a veterinary clinical trial?

A veterinary clinical trial is a research study conducted on veterinary patients and designed to determine whether a new medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention is safe and effective. Although veterinary clinical trials only enroll veterinary patients, the results often have impacts for both veterinary and human medicine.

What are the benefits of participating in a veterinary clinical trial?

General practice veterinarians can benefit from participating in clinical trial research in a variety of ways. Most importantly, participation in a veterinary clinical trial can lead to:

Improved pet health. Including more patients from primary-care populations increases the size and power of veterinary clinical trials. That, in turn, improves the quality of the research results and makes them more reliable and more broadly applicable. When general practice veterinarians participate in clinical trials, they contribute to evidence-based medicine and help advance pet health overall.

Individual and professional growth. A clinical trial offers valuable opportunities to learn about cutting-edge veterinary medicine and the strengths and limitations of research results. Participating offers a fresh perspective on veterinary medicine and can help demonstrate skills that are now in demand. Veterinarians with experience conducting clinical trials are increasingly sought after by the animal health industry, which needs to produce high quality evidence for regulators to market their products.

Increased revenue and enhanced reputation for the practice. Many clinical trials offer financial compensation and other incentives to encourage enrollment and continued engagement. Participation can also distinguish a practice as one that offers top quality care and a broad range of treatment options.

Do I need special skills or knowledge to participate in a veterinary clinical trial?

Trials vary, but generally, participation does not require special skills or knowledge beyond those used in standard veterinary appointments. A typical clinical research trial visit includes a physical examination, taking lab samples, and completing a short questionnaire. If special knowledge and/or skills are needed, the clinical research trial sponsor can quickly bring you up to speed and may offer compensation for training time.

Are veterinary clinical trials safe?

All medical procedures involve some measure of risk; however, any new medical, surgical, or behavioral intervention that is being investigated in a clinical trial has been demonstrated to be safe in preclinical studies and has met the FDA’s strict requirements for allowing further research in companion animals.

What about liability?

Clinical research trial contracts typically specify that veterinarians and staff have no liability associated with adverse events related to the intervention or the study.

What is currently being studied by veterinary clinical trials?

Veterinary clinical trials cover a wide range of topics and investigate a variety of different types of drugs and devices. Loyal is a clinical-stage veterinary medicine company that is specifically focused on developing drugs intended to delay and reverse canine aging. We want to improve the healthspan (quality of life) and lifespan (years of life) for dogs.

Are the drugs Loyal is investigating useful for patients in my practice?

As you undoubtedly see in your practice every day, aging impacts the health of every pet. Because Loyal’s clinical research trial is aimed at improving canine healthspan (quality of life) and lifespan (years of life), the drugs we are developing have the potential to help all dogs live longer, healthier lives.

How much does it cost to participate in a clinical research trial sponsored by Loyal?

As the clinical trial sponsor, Loyal will cover any costs associated with our trials (including all lab work and examination fees). To encourage participation and continued engagement, we also provide generous incentives for both the veterinary practice and enrolled clients.

How will participation in a Loyal clinical trial impact my staff?

At Loyal, we understand the demands your staff has to manage every day. That’s why we created incentives that can help compensate for their time. It is also worth noting that participating in clinical trial research offers a way for your staff to contribute in a meaningful way to the veterinary profession and improve pet health, while also advancing their knowledge, skillset, and loyalty.

Will it be difficult to enroll patients in Loyal’s clinical trials?

The drugs Loyal is developing do not target one specific disease. Instead, our research is focused on canine aging, which impacts all dogs. That means the enrollment criteria for our clinical trial is quite broad, and we believe that many of your clients will want to participate. Loyal also offers recruitment support, including educational materials and client compensation.

What is the time commitment for participating in a clinical trial with Loyal?

At Loyal, we have designed our clinical protocols to be easy to understand and execute so that they can fit easily into your practice’s busy schedule. After the initial screening appointment, an enrolled patient will need to visit twice a year for an appointment that includes a physical exam, the collection of lab samples, and completion of a short questionnaire.

How can I find out more and start participating in Loyal’s clinical trials?

For more information, please visit the Loyal blog. If you would like to talk to a veterinarian on Loyal’s clinical staff, please fill out the form below or email vets@loyalfordogs.com.

Publications
Frontiers
November, 2023
Body weight, gonadectomy, and other risk factors for diagnosis of osteoarthritis in companion dogs ->
Graves JL, McKenzie BA, Koch Z, Naka A, Spofford N, Morrison J. Body weight, gonadectomy, and other risk factors for diagnosis of osteoarthritis in companion dogs. Front. Vet. Sci. 2023 November 28; 10:1275964.
Topics in Companion Animal Medicine
November, 2022
Assessment and Management of Declining Physical Function in Aging Dogs ->
McKenzie B, Chen FL. Assessment and Management of Declining Physical Function in Aging Dogs. Topics in Companion Animal Medicine. 2022 Nov 13; 51:100732.
GeroScience
February, 2023
Evaluating instruments for assessing healthspan: a multi-center cross-sectional study on health-related quality of life (HRQL) and frailty in the companion dog ->
Chen FL, Ullal TV, Graves JL, Ratcliff ER, Naka A, McKenzie B, Carttar TA, Super KM, Austriaco J, Weber SY, Vaughn J, LaCroix-Fralish ML. Evaluating instruments for assessing healthspan: a multi-center cross-sectional study on health-related quality of life (HRQL) and frailty in the companion dog. GeroScience. 2023 Feb 13.
JNeurosci (The Journal of Neuroscience)
August, 2022
Extensive Connections of the Canine Olfactory Pathway Revealed by Tractography and Dissection ->
Andrews EF, Pascalau R, Horowitz A, Lawrence GM, Johnson PJ. Extensive Connections of the Canine Olfactory Pathway Revealed by Tractography and Dissection. J Neurosci. 2022 Aug 17;42(33):6392-407.
AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
June, 2022
The phenotype of aging in the dog: how aging impacts the health and well-being of dogs and their caregivers ->
McKenzie BA, Chen FL, LaCroix-Fralish ML. The phenotype of aging in the dog: how aging impacts the health and well-being of dogs and their caregivers. AVMA. 2022 Jun 1;260(9):963-70.
AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)
June, 2022
Comparative veterinary geroscience: mechanism of molecular, cellular, and tissue aging in humans, laboratory animal models, and companion dogs and cats ->
McKenzie BA. Comparative veterinary geroscience: mechanism of molecular, cellular, and tissue aging in humans, laboratory animal models, and companion dogs and cats. AJVR. 2022 Jun 1;83(6).
Frontiers
April, 2022
Canine Geriatric Syndrome: A Framework for Advancing Research in Veterinary Geroscience ->
McKenzie BA, Chen FL, Gruen ME, Olby NJ. Canine Geriatric Syndrome: A Framework for Advancing Research in Veterinary Geroscience. Front. Vet. Sci. 2022 April 21;9:853743.
Frontiers
September, 2021
Advancing Genetic Selection and Behavioral Genomics of Working Dogs Through Collaborative Science ->
Chen FL, Zimmermann M, Hekman JP, Lord KA, Logan B, Russenberger J, et al. Advancing Genetic Selection and Behavioral Genomics of Working Dogs Through Collaborative Science. Front. Vet. Sci. 2021 Sept 6;8:662429.

Participate in our clinical trials

Contribute to evidence-based medicine and help advance pet health. By joining our clinical trials you can play a key role in developing new drugs to help dogs everywhere.