FIP Resources
FIP Treatment Resources and Studies
FIP Advocates and Champions Canada is a group dedicated to providing help, support and hope for those facing this diagnosis. Though once a completely fatal disease, there is now a treatment and cure! We have all gone through this experience with our own kitties and been able to cure them with what many veterinarians are now calling "a miracle."
Has your cat recently been diagnosed with FIP? Join us on Facebook to access emergency FIP resources.
GS-441524 and FIP Treatment
The Miracle Cure For FIP
Since its application in UC Davis trials, GS-441524 has been found to be a miraculous cure for FIP in cats. FIP Advocates and Champions work with communities worldwide who apply Dr. Pedersen's findings and knowledge of this FIP treatment protocol, and provide you with 24/7 resources to guidance.
Diagnosing FIP
Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease that affects cats. It is caused by a type of virus called feline coronavirus (FCoV). FCoV is a common virus that infects many cats, but in most cases, it causes only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. However, in some cats, the virus mutates and causes FIP.
There are two forms of FIP: dry FIP and wet FIP. Wet FIP is characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen or chest of the affected cat. This fluid buildup is known as effusion.
Symptoms of wet FIP can include a distended abdomen, difficulty breathing, lethargy, weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, and jaundice. These symptoms can be similar to those of other illnesses, which can make a diagnosis of FIP difficult. A definitive diagnosis of FIP requires a combination of clinical signs, laboratory tests, and imaging studies, such as X-rays or ultrasound.
We can see ocular or neurological complications with either wet or dry FIP - however these are more likely to be seen with the dry form of FIP.
There are definitive markers in blood tests that can be very indicative of FIP, and we assess all blood work and tests done to help determine your cat's FIP diagnosis, and type, for dosing purposes.
UC Davis Trials
Dr. Niels Pedersen, a renowned veterinary researcher at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), has conducted extensive research into Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP), a once deadly disease that affects cats. His research has focused on the development of a treatment for FIP, which has been a challenge due to the complex nature of the disease.
Dr. Pedersen's research has led to the development of an antiviral drug called GS-441524, which has shown amazing results in treating FIP in cats. This drug is a nucleoside analogue that works by inhibiting the replication of the virus that causes FIP.
A clinical trial was conducted in 2017 at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. Dr. Pedersen and his team administered GS-441524 to cats with naturally occurring FIP. This trial involved 31 cats with naturally occurring FIP. 26 of these cats went on to complete the 12 weeks of treatment. 8 of these 26 cats relapsed and were treated again. One of these cats was euthanized after failing to respond to a second round of treatment.
In total - 25/26 treated for 12 weeks or longer achieved a sustained remission of FIP although one of them subsequently died of an unrelated heart problem.
Dr. Pedersen's work has provided hope for cat owners and veterinarians worldwide who have struggled with the devastating effects of FIP. Unfortunately, the patent holder, Gilead Science, declined to license it for approval as a veterinary drug. At this point GS-441524 is still an experimental drug and is not yet approved for use in cats by regulatory agencies such as the FDA or the European Medicines Agency.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
GS-441524
Although GS-441524 is not FDA approved, FIP Advocates & Champions works with a worldwide resource network to provide parents with safe and affordable options for obtaining this miracle drug that has saved thousands of lives all over the world.
Dosing and Diagnosis
We work with parents worldwide. Upon joining the Facebook group you will be asked to submit blood work as well as photos/videos of your sick kitty to determine dosing requirements.
GS-441524 dosing is done by weight, and FIP type. Wet and dry FIP with no complications would be dosed at 6mg/kg while ocular and neurological FIP starts at 10mg/kg.
Accessing Resources
Because GS-441524 is not approved, FIP Advocates & Champions works with resources worldwide to provide you with emergency medication.
Using GS-441524 Diagnostically
In the cases of suspected FIP, GS-441524 can be used to confirm a diagnosis. Oftentimes FIP can present with confusing nonspecific symptoms, and in many cases, GS has been known to save parents and kitties any stressful extra testing procedures by correctly diagnosing FIP when the cats saw improvement.
Treating FIP
YES! There is a cure for FIP. Treating FIP with GS-441524 is 86 - 94% effective if caught in time and treatment is started early enough.
The treatment involves 84 days of subcutaneous injections of GS-441524, with blood work done at days 30, 60, and 80. If after 30 days kitty is showing improvement and no digestive issues are present, you can choose to switch to the oral tablets.
After 84 days of treatment, your cat will go through an 84 day observation period where you monitor for lethargy, fever, weight loss, or any symptoms of FIP initially presented. This would be indicative of a relapse, which can happen. Cats are more likely to relapse when cats are underdosed, have missed doses or when neurological symptoms are missed.
After 84 days of observation and final blood work, your cat is considered cured from FIP.
Questions? Contact Us
Has your cat recently been diagnosed with FIP? If you'd like to learn more about curing your cat of FIP, get in touch with FIP Advocates and Champions today. We work to provide FIP treatment resources across Canada, and connect parents with a global network of treatment options for FIP cats outside of Canada.
UC Davis Study:
Luna: The First Cat To Be Cured Of FIP
How Luna Became the First Cat Cured of Feline Infectious Peritonitis in 2017
FAQs
For cats that have developed resistance to GS-441524 there are other options. Check out this article published by Dr. Pedersen and Nicole Jacque:
Alternative treatments for cats with FIP and natural or acquired resistance to GS-441524
