FOI release

FOI2026/00291 – Adverse events reported of rapidly progressive arthritis following Solensia

Published 22 May 2026

Your request

I am trying to find out if any cases of rapidly progressive arthritis have been reported in cats given Solensia?

Our reply

Solensia is a veterinary medicinal product (VMP) used for the alleviation of pain associated with osteoarthritis in cats. 

Please be aware that the data we have provided below are not subject to independent verification and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) does not guarantee their accuracy. The figures are based on adverse events submitted to the VMD for the purposes of pharmacovigilance.

We have included all adverse event reports. This includes:

• where an adverse event has occurred that is already listed on the Summary of Product Characteristics
• where more than one product was used
• when the product was used off-label, that is using a medicine in a way that is not specified on the product’s label, including prescribing of unauthorised medicines following the prescribing cascade
• where, on further evaluation, there were other reasons for the adverse event occurring such as underlying illnesses or an alternative cause for the clinical signs seen

Duplicate cases are combined, however if there is doubt as to whether two cases are true duplicates then both cases will be included. VMD databases change over time as new and follow-up information is constantly being received and reviewed. 

Evaluation is dependent on the accuracy and quality of data received from veterinary professionals and animal owners, and reporting frequency can vary over time (reporting frequency may be affected by a product being new to the market or social media interest, for example). 

All adverse events submitted to the VMD have their clinical signs coded using the Veterinary Dictionary for Drug Regulatory Activities (VeDDRA). Further information regarding VeDDRA can be located on the European Medicines Agency website, including the VeDDRA list of clinical terms for reporting suspected adverse events and the Guidance notes on the use of VeDDRA terminology.

The term ‘Rapidly progressive osteoarthritis’ has recently been added to the latest version of the VeDDRA list and therefore, not all Marketing Authorisation Holders (MAHs) will have updated their VeDDRA lists yet (it is anticipated that they will do so when possible).

To date, this information has been recorded in the narrative and the clinical signs have been coded using the most appropriate available VeDDRA terms. They may have been coded as a ‘bone & joint disorder NOS’ or even ‘uncoded sign’, which would not specifically identify those cases relating to rapidly progressive (osteo)arthritis, without the full content of the narrative being assessed. Therefore, it is not currently possible to provide a definitive number of cases reporting this type of disorder.

However, a search of case narratives in our adverse event report database that contained ‘RPOA’, or ‘rapidly progressing osteoarthritis’, or ‘rapid progressive osteoarthritis’ identified 5 cases. Searches using other related terms did not identify additional cases.

Although adverse event report information can be useful to provide a general overview of a VMP, it is important for any clinical decisions regarding the use of a VMP to be based on a risk-benefit discussion specific to the animal or group of animals being administered the VMP. An overall frequency of an adverse event occurring for a VMP does not reflect the actual risk for an individual animal, as there are many individual factors that may contribute to the likelihood of an adverse event occurring.

All medicines whether for human or animal use come with risk, and the benefits of use in wider populations need to outweigh the potential risks. Information on adverse events that have been known to occur following administration of a particular product are summarised in sections 3.6/4.6 of the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). The SPC is a document describing the properties and the officially approved conditions of use of a medicine. The SPC and associated product information are updated as new information is available, and the latest version of an SPC can be found on our publicly available Product Information Database. We continually assess and update our findings relating to products used within the United Kingdom and should there be sufficient data to suggest that an SPC requires alteration or that another appropriate action is required, this will be carried out within the required timeframe, as set out by the current legislation surrounding that veterinary medicinal product or region.

Pharmacovigilance updates are published on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/urgent-safety-updates-for-veterinary-medicines; this also includes any updates involving non-veterinary medicines used in animals. To receive these pharmacovigilance updates via email, please click on the ‘Get emails about this page’ button. The latest update on Librela can be found at Librela solution for injection in dogs - GOV.UK and the latest update on Solensia can be found at Solensia 7 mg/ml Solution for Injection for Cats - GOV.UK.