Perth-based Stirling Products Ltd's R-salbutamol drug was trialled on 15 beagles in the US, each losing 3 per cent weight loss a week, the company said.
Stirling chief executive and managing director Calvin London said it was early days in the drug's development.
"Phase one established an initial dose range that was considered safe to administer to dogs without any clinical side-effects and the second phase tested both high and low dose options in reducing the weight of overweight dogs," said Dr London.
"While it is early days, these results are extremely encouraging and we know we can enhance the effectiveness of R-salbutamol even further with revised formulations in studies."
The company will now tweak the formulation before more extensive trials.
If the second phase of testing is successful, the company will seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration - a stage Dr London hoped to reach in about two years.
Should R-salbutamol make it to the supermarket shelves, the spoils won't be small (dog) biscuits.
About 35 per cent of US dogs and cats are considered to be overweight or obese, a statistic mirrored in Australia and Europe, Stirling said.
The market for anti-obesity drugs for pets is estimated to be worth more than $US200 million ($242.17 million) in the US alone.
Reference:Daily Telegraph, Australia
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