Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was once universally fatal. The development of antiviral treatments has transformed this devastating disease into one that is now curable in the majority of cats.
Before antivirals, FIP diagnosis was a death sentence delivered to cats whose owners had often watched a previously healthy young cat deteriorate rapidly. The development of GS-441524 represents one of veterinary medicine's most dramatic welfare advances in recent history — a universally fatal disease has become largely curable. However, treatment access remains profoundly inequitable. Cost places curative treatment beyond reach for many owners, creating welfare disparities based on financial circumstances. Advocacy for affordable licensed formulations, veterinary support programs, and charitable funding can extend this welfare advance to cats whose owners cannot currently afford treatment.