Jaguar Health Announces that Published Study Indicates Crofelemer Could be a Treatment Option for Abdominal Pain Associated with Diarrhea-Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome

SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 8, 2020 / Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAGX) (“Jaguar” or the “Company”), today announced that a study appearing in the December 2019 issue of Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology, a peer-reviewed journal published by the American College of Gastroenterology, indicates that crofelemer could be a treatment option for abdominal pain associated with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D).

This multicenter, phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the effect of crofelemer on abdominal pain in women with IBS-D. A total of 240 women were enrolled, and participants were randomized to crofelemer (125 mg) or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks. Following an analysis by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-issued revised recommendations for outcome measures in IBS clinical trials in 2010, the proportion of monthly abdominal pain responders was significantly higher in the crofelemer group during months 1 through 2 (58.3% vs 45.0%, P = 0.030) as well as during the entire 3 months (54.2% vs 42.5%, P = 0.037) when compared with placebo. No significant differences were observed in the proportion of stool consistency monthly responders based on the revised FDA guidelines.

These observed trends of improvement in monthly abdominal pain responders suggest that crofelemer may have a use for treatment in abdominal pain in IBS-D patients without having significant changes to bowel habits. Currently there are very few treatment options to address the visceral pain associated with IBS-D. Crofelemer has a distinct and novel antisecretory mechanism of action of modulation of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) and/or calcium-activated chloride channels (CaCC) that may provide a new non-opiate or antibiotic-based option to treat the visceral abdominal pain and discomfort for IBS-D patients.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal condition defined by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of another disease that can account for these symptoms. IBS is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal condition and has a population prevalence of up to 12% in North America and is more prevalent in women than in men. Currently, IBS is a clinical diagnosis based on abdominal pain associated with a change in bowel habits. Patients with IBS, but particularly those with IBS-D, report significantly reduced quality of life, higher indirect costs, and greater impairments in daily and work activities.

About Jaguar Health, Inc.

Jaguar Health, Inc. is a commercial stage pharmaceuticals company focused on developing novel, sustainably derived gastrointestinal products on a global basis. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., focuses on developing and commercializing proprietary human gastrointestinal pharmaceuticals for the global marketplace from plants used traditionally in rainforest areas. Our Mytesi^® (crofelemer) product is approved by the U.S. FDA for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adults with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy.

For more information about Jaguar, please visit jaguar.health. For more information about Napo, visit napopharma.com.

About Mytesi^®

Mytesi (crofelemer) is an antidiarrheal indicated for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adult patients with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Mytesi is not indicated for the treatment of infectious diarrhea. Rule out infectious etiologies of diarrhea before starting Mytesi. If infectious etiologies are not considered, there is a risk that patients with infectious etiologies will not receive the appropriate therapy and their disease may worsen. In clinical studies, the most common adverse reactions occurring at a rate greater than placebo were upper respiratory tract infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

See full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. Crofelemer, the active ingredient in Mytesi, is a botanical (plant-based) drug extracted and purified from the red bark sap of the medicinal Croton lechleri tree in the Amazon rainforest. Napo has established a sustainable harvesting program for crofelemer to ensure a high degree of quality and ecological integrity.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements.” These include statements regarding the expectation that crofelemer could be a treatment option for abdominal pain associated with diarrhea-predominant IBS-D. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “aim,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are only predictions. Jaguar has based these forward-looking statements largely on its current expectations and projections about future events. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified and some of which are beyond Jaguar’s control. Some of the factors that could affect our actual results are included in the periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law, Jaguar does not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein, whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

Source: Jaguar Health, Inc.

Contact:

Peter Hodge
Jaguar Health, Inc.
phodge@jaguar.health
Jaguar-JAGX

SOURCE: Jaguar Health, Inc.

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