Zoetis launches long-acting osteoarthritis treatment in Canada and EU, changing chronic pain management for dogs

Zoetis has introduced Lenivia, a three-month pain relief injection for canine osteoarthritis, in Canada and the European Union, promising improved adherence and a significant therapeutic gap filled.

Zoetis has broadened its canine osteoarthritis offering with the launch of Lenivia in Canada and the European Union, a long-acting monoclonal antibody that the company says can provide up to three months of pain relief from a single subcutaneous injection. The treatment targets nerve growth factor, and Zoetis said a nine-month European field study showed sustained pain reduction, with benefits seen from day seven after the first dose.

For veterinary clinicians, the appeal is practical as much as scientific: a three-month dosing interval may improve adherence and reduce the burden of repeat visits for dogs with chronic joint disease. Zoetis also argues that the therapy fills an important gap, noting that up to 40% of dogs may show radiographic osteoarthritis.

The launch adds to a growing osteoarthritis pain portfolio that already includes Rimadyl, Trocoxil and Librela, and it follows earlier regulatory milestones in Great Britain, Canada and the EU. In May, the UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate approved Lenivia for dogs, while Health Canada and the European Commission granted approvals in 2025.

More broadly, Zoetis continues to lean on companion-animal biologics, diagnostics and digital tools alongside its livestock business, which serves cattle, poultry, swine, sheep and fish across global markets. For practitioners, the latest move underscores how rapidly anti-NGF therapies are becoming a more established part of chronic pain management in small-animal practice.

Image Source: Zoetis