This article is sponsored content brought to you by Elanco.
Atopic dermatitis is a common allergic skin disease condition affecting 10–15% of dogs.1 Persistent itching impacts more than just the dog— it causes ongoing distress for both pets and their owners. While owners expect fast, effective itch relief for their dog,2 managing allergic and atopic dermatitis can be complex. It’s not due to a lack of effective treatments, but rather challenges with compliance and sustained relief. Traditional therapies often require multiple daily doses and complicated dosing instructions, increasing the risk of poor compliance e.g. missed doses.
Zenrelia™ (active ingredient = ilunocitinib) is Elanco’s innovative JAK inhibitor that provides fast and sustained itch relief in a simple once-daily tablet. From day one, Zenrelia provides effective itch relief without the need for loading doses or tapering.3 This straightforward dosing supports pet owner compliance and sets a new standard for convenient, long-term itch management.
In a head-to-head clinical trial3, Zenrelia demonstrated non-inferiority to Apoquel® at Day 28 and demonstrated sustained relief from itch and inflammation up to Day 112.
• Itch Relief: Zenrelia gets more dogs back to normal4 levels of itch. 77% of Zenrelia-treated dogs achieved clinically normal itch levels (PVAS<2), compared to 53% with Apoquel® (oclacitinib) treated dogs* (p<0.04).3
• Skin lesions: Zenrelia offers significant improvement in skin lesions compared to Apoquel from day 28, as measured by CADESI-4 scores* (p≤0.02).3
• Satisfaction: Highly rated by vets and owners measured by response-to-treatment scores at Day 112*.
– Vet satisfaction = Zenrelia: 8.9/10 vs Apoquel®: 8.1/10 (p=0.002).3
– Pet owner satisfaction = Zenrelia: 8.7/10 vs Apoquel: 7.8/10 (p=0.002).3
These results offer a compelling reason to consider switching your go-to JAK inhibitor.
Zenrelia also offers an impressive safety profile, with similar adverse events reported for both Zenrelia and Apoquel.^3 The most common adverse events, vomiting and diarrhoea, were mild and self-limiting. Importantly, Zenrelia was well tolerated and did not interfere with immune responses to core booster vaccinations, even when administered at up to a 3 times overdose.5
Zenrelia will be available in four tablet strengths and will be dosed at 0.6–0.8 mg/kg once daily, with or without food, and is suitable for dogs from 3 kg and 12 months of age. The flavourless tablet allows use in dogs undergoing a diet elimination trial, or for those dogs that have a food allergy.
With its combination of efficacy, safety, and once-daily dosing from day one, Zenrelia is an ideal first-line option for managing allergic and atopic dermatitis. Unlike Apoquel, which initially requires twice-daily dosing for up to 14 days6, Zenrelia offers a seamless, start-to-finish experience—with no dose adjustments needed.
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*Results from comparison between Apoquel and Zenrelia: primary endpoint was non-inferiority demonstrated at day 28. Secondary end point p values are not adjusted for multiple testing; therefore, caution should be exercised in interpretation. This was a subset of dogs treated for a total of 112 days.
^When used according to label directions.
©2025 Elanco or its affiliates. Zenrelia, Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trade marks of Elanco. Apoquel® is a registered trade mark of Zoetis. For further information contact Elanco on 1800 995 709 from anywhere in Australia Monday to Friday. PM-AU-25-0292
CADESI-4, Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index, version 4; JAK, janus kinase; PVAS, Pruritus Visual Analogue Scale
References:
1. Gedon NKY, & Mueller R.S. Atopic dermatitis in cats and dogs: a difficult disease for animals and owners Clin Translational Allergy. 2018 Oct;8:41.
2. Hanna B. Earlier dermatology referral rewards primary care practice (part 1): easing client expenses and enhancing patient care. DVM360 May 2022;53(5):42.
3. Forster S et al. Comparative efficacy and safety of ilunocitinib and oclacitinib for the control of pruritus and associated skin lesions in dogs with atopic dermatitis. Vet Dermatol. 2025 Apr;36(2):165–76.
4. Rybnicek J et al. Further validation of a pruritus severity scale for use in dogs. Veterinary Dermatology. 2009; 20(2):115-122
5. Fent G.M. et al. Immunologic response to first booster vaccination in dogs treated with Zenrelia™ (ilunocitinib tablets) at up to three times the recommended therapeutic dose compared to untreated controls. BMC Veterinary Research. 2025; 21:481.
6. Apoquel Australian product label.
