Antiviral treatments including GS-441524 have transformed feline infectious peritonitis from a uniformly fatal disease to one that is curable in most cases. This is one of the greatest recent advances in feline welfare.
The transformation of FIP from invariably fatal to largely curable represents one of the most significant feline welfare advances of the 21st century. Cats with FIP experience rapid deterioration including fluid accumulation, neurological signs and progressive organ failure. Antiviral treatment achieves remission in the majority of cases, allowing cats that would previously have died within weeks to live normal lives. Access to affordable licensed treatment remains a welfare challenge in many countries.