Help Pancake beat FIP!

Hi, my name is Nick and my fiancée Hannah and I are the parents of a beautiful, baby cat named Pancake. In August 2023, we picked up Pancake from the airport to foster him after he was rescued from Kuwait. We worked with Friends for Life Rescue, who helped fly him out here to the US and coordinated with Kuwait Animal Aid, who helped him receive medical treatment for panleukopenia, which he was cured of. After one amazing month together, we officially adopted Pancake in September 2023.

Recently, we had noticed our once active cat had become quite lethargic and was eating a lot less and took him into his vet to get examined and some bloodwork done. Upon hearing this news and his symptoms, our contacts within Friends for Life and a veterinarian associated with the rescue reviewed his results and suspect he has dry FIP. Because of their reaction and the deadly nature of FIP, we have begun treatment for Pancake which includes daily doses of GS-441524, regular vet visits for bloodwork, and daily monitoring and lots of loving pets.

At this time, the treatment we are seeking is still experimental but others across the world have seen wonderful results. We are determined to provide Pancake with the care he needs and provide him with a comfortable existence no matter how long he is with us. Due to the high cost of this treatment plan, we are seeking assistance at this time to help cover the costs. Any amount will help as we fight this disease and is greatly appreciated! We will use this page not only for donations, but also to provide updates on Pancake's progress.

Thank you!

More about Pancake and Us

Prior to his symptoms, Pancake was an energetic and cuddly cat. He loved running through our home, sitting on the window sills to keep an eye on the dog park across the street, and supervising us unload the dishwasher. Over the past few months together, Pancake has been able to meet our families and many of our friends, all of whom have loved meeting him. Despite his deterioration, Pancake continues to love his time with us and is always up for some treats and pets.

Hannah and I both grew up with cats and always talked about owning one of our own. I grew up with an amazing Persian named Higgins, who I always joked was my "big brother" since he was a year older than me and I am an only child. Hannah had four cats through out her life and spent many years working with a local animal shelter to help care for their cats. While all of our childhood cats are no longer with us, their lives and love have made lasting impression on us.

What is FIP and what is the treatment we are seeking?

According to the Cornell Feline Health Center, "Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a viral disease of cats caused by certain strains of a virus called the feline coronavirus." There are two major types of FIP, wet and dry, and "regardless of which form they ultimately progress to develop, cats infected with FIPV usually first develop nonspecific signs of disease such as loss of appetite, weight loss, depression, and fever." Lastly, "the disease is usually progressive and almost always fatal without therapy that has recently become available..." which is why we are attempting to beat this via this new method. (https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-infectious-peritonitis)

At this time, GS-441524 is not an FDA approved treatment for cats with FIP in the United States. While this approval process is not moving along here due to manufacturer's refusal to engage in the process, clinical studies and anecdotal evidence suggest it can be a successful cure. For more information on this treatment, here are some studies we've consulted.

Coggins, S. J., Norris, J. M., Malik, R., Govendir, M., Hall, E. J., Kimble, B., & Thompson, M. F. (2023). Outcomes of treatment of cats with feline infectious peritonitis using parenterally administered remdesivir, with or without transition to orally administered GS‐441524. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 37(5), 1772–1783. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16803

Jones, S., Novicoff, W., Nadeau, J., & Evans, S. (2021). Unlicensed GS-441524-like antiviral therapy can be effective for at-home treatment of feline infectious peritonitis. Animals, 11(8), 2257. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082257

Pedersen, N. C., Perron, M., Bannasch, M., Montgomery, E., Murakami, E., Liepnieks, M., & Liu, H. (2019). Efficacy and safety of the nucleoside analog GS-441524 for treatment of cats with naturally occurring feline infectious peritonitis. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 21(4), 271–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612X19825701