Oclacitinib (Apoquel, Zoetis) is a Janus kinase (JAK) 1 inhibitor, authorised for over six years in multiple countries worldwide, for the treatment of clinical manifestations of atopic dermatitis and pruritus associated with allergic dermatitis in dogs. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety, quality of life and dog owner treatment satisfaction following treatment of dogs with oclacitinib for at least 20 months in Spain.
In this cross-sectional, observational study, data was collected from 135 dogs currently receiving oclacitinib treatment, representing 35 breeds from 13 veterinary clinics. Dogs underwent physical and dermatological examination and sample collection for haematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis and Leishmania infantum serology at study enrolment. Clinical history was recorded based on retrospective analysis of case records.
Median duration of oclacitinib treatment was 30 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 24–48) for 365 days (IQR: 300–365) per year. Owners reported that their dogs had a significant (P < 0.001) reduction in pruritus after treatment. Scores on a validated canine dermatitis-specific quality of life questionnaire indicated high levels of quality of life for the dogs and owners and a high level of owner satisfaction with oclacitinib treatment. No clinically significant deviations from reference intervals were reported for any of the laboratory parameters measured. Ninety three percent of the dogs tested seronegative for Leishmania infantum after treatment. The results of this field study further support the long-term clinical safety of oclacitinib treatment.