Boehringer Ingelheim says that a new treatment can give dogs suffering from cardiovascular disease the opportunity to live longer and better lives.

In its global EPIC (Evaluation of Pimobendan In dogs with Cardiomegaly) study, the company found that pimobendan (Vetmedin) is able to delay the onset of clinical signs of myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) by a median of 15 months.

The EPIC study is the largest ever worldwide cardiac study in pet dogs, conducted by cardiologists at 36 specialist veterinary cardiac investigative centres in 11 countries.

No signs of the condition during the preclinical phase are visible to dog owners, but the disease’s progression is irreversible. Boehringer Ingelheim said its new findings mean that dogs suffering from MMVD will be able to be identified during the preclinical stage and treated before symptoms appear.

Dr Joachim Hasenmaier, head of the animal health business unit and member of the board of managing directors at Boehringer Ingelheim, said: “It is exceptionally rare for any veterinary product to offer such life-changing benefits to dogs and their owners, and this five-year study provides a real opportunity for not only improvement to quality of life, but also an increased life expectancy.”