ThyroKitty injection (I-131), a treatment for feline hyperthyroidism developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), received item approval as Korea's first veterinary radiopharmaceutical.
The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) said on the 10th that ThyroKitty, developed by a team led by principal researcher Lim Jae-cheong, received a veterinary drug manufacturing business license from the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency on the 25th of last month and an item manufacturing license on the 27th.
With the approvals, ThyroKitty will be used to treat feline hyperthyroidism at Chungbuk National University Animal Medical Center and Helix Animal Medical Center, which hold permits to use radioisotopes (RI).
Feline hyperthyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid hormone is excessively secreted, mainly appearing in elderly cats. Previously, the main approach was to administer oral medication daily to control hormone levels.
ThyroKitty uses the thyroid's property of absorbing iodine. Injecting radioiodine (I-131) causes it to concentrate in the thyroid and treat abnormal tissue. It is a one-time administration, differing from existing treatments that require long-term medication.
In clinical trials conducted at Chungbuk National University Animal Medical Center, a single administration of ThyroKitty showed a 94.2% treatment success rate. The comparator oral therapy, Felimazole, was 56.3% at week 4 of administration.
The incidence of iatrogenic hypothyroidism, in which thyroid function becomes excessively low after treatment, was found to be 5.9% for ThyroKitty and 43.8% for the existing therapy. The research team said no liver damage or hematopoietic abnormalities were observed in the clinical trial.
The treatment was jointly developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), LC Gen, and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Chungbuk National University with support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (IPET). The Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) plans to begin domestic supply and pursue entry into overseas markets, including China and Japan, as well as technology exports.
Hong Jin-tae, head of the Isotope Research Division at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), said, "This is a case in which radiation technology has moved beyond research and development and been applied to the actual treatment of companion animals," adding, "We will broaden the potential uses of radiation technology in the veterinary pharmaceutical field."