Boehringer Ingelheim has moved a step closer to bringing a new treatment for Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) to European horse owners.

 

This, after the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products (CVMP) adopted a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization for SCOVELLA (velagliflozin oral solution).

 

If approved by the European Commission, SCOVELLA would become the first sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitor authorized for use in horses in the European Union, offering a new treatment option to address hyperinsulinaemia, a key driver of laminitis. The drug was approved and launched in Great Britain earlier this year.

 

“The CVMP’s positive opinion for SCOVELLA recognizes the significant need for new treatments for hyperinsulinaemia, a key underlying driver of laminitis in horses," said Saskia Kley, Global Head of Equine at Boehringer Ingelheim. 

 

“With this opinion, owners of horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome in the EU are one step closer to a breakthrough innovation to reduce hyperinsulinaemia and reduce the associated risk of laminitis, one of the most devastating conditions in equine health.”

 

The development marks a significant step forward in addressing a major health challenge in horses. Equine Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by a combination of metabolic and clinical abnormalities, with insulin dysregulation (ID) at its core. The condition substantially increases the risk of laminitis, a painful and potentially devastating hoof disease.

 

The scale of the problem is considerable. An estimated one in five horses has insulin dysregulation, which is associated with more than 90% of laminitis cases. Laminitis causes severe inflammation in the hooves and remains one of the leading causes of pain and disability in horses. The consequences can be fatal, with one-third of affected horses euthanized within a year of diagnosis.

 

Backed by 15 years of research, SCOVELLA represents Boehringer Ingelheim’s latest effort to address an area of significant unmet need in equine health.

 

The oral liquid medication belongs to the SGLT-2 inhibitor class and is designed to block glucose reabsorption in the kidneys, triggering a rapid and sustained reduction in insulin levels. By targeting hyperinsulinaemia, the treatment aims to tackle a key underlying cause of laminitis and reduce the associated risk.

 

The European Commission’s final decision on marketing authorization is now the next milestone before SCOVELLA can become available to horse owners across the EU.