Endovia Health Sciences eyes FDA approval for canine cannabis drug as a gateway to human medicines

Endovia Health Sciences seeks regulatory clearance for a CBD-THC drug initially designed for dogs, aiming to leverage veterinary success to access the lucrative human pharmaceutical market.

Endovia Health Sciences is trying an unconventional route into cannabinoid pharmaceuticals: it wants to win U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for a drug first developed for dogs, then use that foothold to pursue human medicine.

The Fort Lauderdale-based company, formerly Splash Beverage Group, is backing CannEpil, a pharmaceutical-grade formulation of CBD and THC isolates in a 20-to-1 ratio. According to Endovia, the drug is being developed for cancer-linked pain and chronic pain in dogs, with the veterinary programme run alongside Lupvindol Biosciences through the FDA’s Centre for Veterinary Medicine.

The commercial logic is clear. Grand View Research values the global veterinary pain-management market at about $2.6 billion in 2024 and expects it to reach $3.8 billion by 2030. The National Cancer Institute says about 6 million dogs in the US are diagnosed with cancer each year, while the Veterinary Cancer Society estimates one in four dogs will develop cancer during their lifetime.

Brady Cobb, Endovia’s interim chief executive, told MJBizDaily that the veterinary route could offer a quicker path through federal review. The FDA says animal drugs must still demonstrate safety and effectiveness, though some serious-condition treatments may qualify for conditional approval before full data are complete.

Sceptics remain. Some animal-health practitioners question both the science and the regulatory bar. Endovia, however, says it sees the dog market as only the first stage before a later push into human indications, including epilepsy.