U.S. APPROVES FIRST BEHAVIORAL DRUGS FOR DOGS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it
had approved the first two drugs to treat behavioral problems in dogs.

One of the drugs, a meat-flavored pill called Clomicalm, treats separation
anxiety, a common ailment among dogs who miss their owners. The second,
Anipryl, treats a syndrome that affects the cognitive skills of older dogs.

``These are important new drugs which can be used to help prolong the
quality of life of dogs and their relationship with their owner,'' said the
FDA's head of veterinary medicines, Dr. Stephen Sundlof.

``Dogs certainly have neurological problems just like humans do,'' he said
in an interview, adding that he thought pet owners and humane societies
would welcome the new drugs.

The drugs are part of a new approach to treating dogs with behavioral
problems, providing veterinarians with similar tools available to doctors
treating humans.

Clomicalm, which is sold by Novartis Animal Health U.S. Inc., a unit of
Swiss-based Novartis AG, be prescribed for dogs older than six months and
stems from an anti-depressant called Anafranil that is used to treat
obsessive-compulsive disorders in humans.

However, Sundlof said it would not be used to treat depression in dogs
because veterinarians were not sure whether canines suffered from this
illness that is so common in humans.

``We don't know if they get depression or not, but one of the behavioral
anomalies they do suffer from is anxiety,'' he said.

About 20-40 percent of all dogs presented to veterinarians with behavioral
problems suffered from separation anxiety, said Sundlof.

They became particularly worried when left alone by their owners or people
to whom they are attached, suffering separation anxiety -- a common problem
among human toddlers.

If used together with behavior-modification training, Clomicalm relieved
some of the anxiety and made dogs less prone to aberrant behavior.

``This behavior included excessive barking, chewing up shoes or rugs as well
as inappropriate urination and defecation,'' said Sundlof.

During the FDA's eight-week trial of some 100 dogs, the side-effects from
Clomicalm included vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and appetite
fluctuations.

The other drug, Anipryl, from Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE - news), treats
Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome in dogs, an age-related deterioration in
which a dog's cognitive skills are affected.

Such changes in a dog's behavior included disorientation, decreased
activity, loss of house training and altered greeting behavior and
responsiveness to family members.

``In clinical trials, Anipryl was shown to be effective in controlling
clinical signs associated with CDS. However, onset, duration and magnitude
of response varied with individual dogs,'' the FDA said in a statement.

FDA veterinary medical officer Ann Stohlman said pet owners should monitor
their dogs closely and decide whether Anipryl was effective.

Anipryl stems from a drug called Eldepryl that is used to treat Parkinson's
disease in humans.

Alice Coram, a communications manager for Novartis, said Clomicalm would be
available starting in mid-February and would cost pet owners about $1 a day.
The company planned a major promotional campaign for the treatment, she
said.

``This opens up an exciting new avenue in behavioral treatments for dogs,''
said Coram.