Laverdia Gets Full FDA Approval: The At-Home Lymphoma Pill for Dogs, With Honest Numbers

Laverdia (verdinexor), the first pill approved to treat lymphoma in dogs, now has full FDA approval, announced on January 16, 2026. It was conditionally approved in 2021; after four annual renewals, its maker showed the “substantial evidence” of effectiveness the FDA requires for full approval. If your dog has lymphoma, it’s a real option, given at home twice a week. It’s also an honest one: in its main trial it bought time measured in weeks, with side effects most dogs felt.

What it is

Laverdia is a tablet from Anivive Lifesciences. Verdinexor belongs to a class called selective inhibitors of nuclear export: it keeps the cell’s own tumor-suppressing proteins inside the nucleus, where they work. According to the FDA’s summary, it’s “selectively cytotoxic for cells with genomic damage (i.e., for tumor cells).”

It’s approved for dogs at least 1 year old with B-cell or T-cell lymphoma, whether newly diagnosed or relapsed after earlier treatment.

What the trial showed

The study behind full approval ran from 2022 to 2025 at several clinics. Dogs were randomly assigned, four to one, to Laverdia or identical tablets without the drug, and neither owners nor evaluators knew which. Of 160 dogs enrolled, 134 could be evaluated; about 4 in 5 had B-cell lymphoma.

• Main result: the median time to the cancer progressing was 37 days on Laverdia and 23 days on the control, a statistically significant difference of about two weeks.
• Staying in the study: 29% of the Laverdia dogs completed the 56-day study, against 7% of the controls.
• Tumor response at day 56: among dogs still being measured, one had a complete response and seven a partial response.

A veterinary oncologist told dvm360 that the drug expands access but “It’s not meant to be a silver bullet [or] a cure-all for lymphoma.” That’s the right frame: an option that can buy time, especially when clinic-based chemotherapy isn’t possible for a family, not a cure.

Side effects

In the main trial	Laverdia	Control
Loss of appetite	74.0%	51.5%
Vomiting	61.4%	36.4%
Lethargy	61.4%	54.5%
Weight loss	52.0%	12.1%
Diarrhea	42.5%	33.3%
Elevated liver enzyme (ALP)	22.8%	6.1%
Muscle tremors	11.0%	0%

Most were mild to moderate (grades 1 and 2), and 13 treated dogs were started on prednisone for poor appetite. The control column is high too, so not every symptom on the list is the drug’s doing. The FDA’s view is that these “adverse reactions are expected based on how the drug works and the safety profile is acceptable.”

How it’s given

• Twice a week, at least 72 hours apart, starting at a lower dose that your vet may raise after two weeks if your dog tolerates it.
• With food or right after a meal. It matters: the drug is absorbed three to five times better with food.

Safety at home

Because it’s a cancer drug, the handling rules are strict:

• Wear chemotherapy gloves whenever you handle the tablets or clean up after your dog: poop, urine, vomit, saliva, and the food and water bowls. Keep it up for the whole treatment and for 3 days after the last dose.
• Pregnant women, women who may become pregnant and nursing women should not handle the drug or the dog’s body fluids, including saliva, because it may cause birth defects.
• Children shouldn’t handle the tablets or the dog’s body fluids, including saliva.

Making the decision

A lymphoma diagnosis brings hard choices, and they’re easier when they rest on what you’ve actually seen. A medication log keeps doses and side effects straight, and a symptom log helps you bring clear notes to each visit. Talk with a veterinary oncologist about where Laverdia fits for your dog, what to expect at home, and how you’ll judge whether it’s helping.