Boehringer Ingelheim launches SCOVELLA for equine laminitis in GB
Boehringer Ingelheim has launched SCOVELLA (velagliflozin oral solution) in Great Britain, becoming the first therapy specifically licensed for the treatment of hyperinsulinaemia in insulin-dysregulated horses and ponies. The product received a limited marketing authorisation from the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate in April 2026 under Article 26(1)(b) of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations, and will be available to prescribing veterinary surgeons from September 2026, with its official debut at the British Equine Veterinary Association Congress.
Insulin dysregulation is estimated to affect around one in five horses and is thought to account for more than 90% of laminitis cases. The condition causes debilitating and often irreversible damage to the hoof laminae, and UK cohort data suggest that approximately one in ten horses experiences at least one laminitis episode per year. One-third of horses diagnosed with laminitis are euthanised within a year, underscoring the scale of unmet need the drug addresses.
Clinical evidence
SCOVELLA is an SGLT-2 inhibitor, a drug class well-established in human type 2 diabetes management, here repurposed and reformulated as an equine-specific oral liquid. Clinical data cited by Boehringer Ingelheim showed the therapy reduces elevated insulin concentrations rapidly, with measurable effects within days of starting treatment. In a dietary challenge trial, none of the horses treated with SCOVELLA developed clinical laminitis, compared with 38% of untreated controls, a finding the company says supports the causal relationship between hyperinsulinaemia and the disease.
Professor Andy Durham, an RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine at Liphook Equine Hospital, said: "The availability of a therapy specifically developed and approved for horses represents an important advance and provides veterinarians with a new option to manage insulin dysregulation, the condition that underlies the majority of cases of laminitis."
Saskia Kley, Global Head of Equine at Boehringer Ingelheim, noted the product is the result of 15 years of focused research and reflects the company's commitment to areas of high unmet need in animal health.
Market context and regulatory read-across
The equine pharmaceuticals market is a relatively niche segment within animal health, but one where Boehringer Ingelheim has invested consistently, holding a broad portfolio spanning vaccines, parasite control and anti-infectives for horses. No other SGLT-2 inhibitor currently carries a veterinary marketing authorisation in Great Britain for this indication, leaving SCOVELLA in a de facto monopoly position at launch.
The SGLT-2 inhibitor class has a strong safety and tolerability record in human medicine, which may accelerate veterinary prescriber confidence, though species-specific pharmacokinetics mean that human data cannot be transferred directly. The UK's post-Brexit veterinary medicines framework, administered by the VMD, has shown a willingness to grant limited authorisations for genuinely novel indications where the benefit-risk profile is well-supported, and the April 2026 decision here appears consistent with that approach.
Boehringer Ingelheim has indicated it plans to extend the SCOVELLA launch to additional markets beyond Great Britain, though no timeline or specific countries have been confirmed. The rollout will be accompanied by a veterinary education programme, including practice-level support materials for laminitis case management.