Jaguar Health Sustainability Leader Interviewed on Foodie Pharmacology Podcast

Dr. Steven King discusses tree-to-bottle development of Jaguar’s Mytesi, the only oral plant-based medicine approved by FDA under botanical guidance

SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 26, 2020 / Jaguar Health, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:JAGX) head of sustainability Steven King, Ph.D., was interviewed on the Foodie Pharmacology podcast about the pioneering fair-trade tree-to-bottle development of Mytesi^® (crofelemer), a non-opioid oral plant-based medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for HIV-related diarrhea.

Dr. King, who also oversees ethnobotanical research and intellectual property at Jaguar, spoke with ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra Quave on May 18 for Foodie Pharmacology, a science podcast for the food curious, the flavor connoisseurs, chefs, science geeks, plant lovers and adventurous taste experimenters out in the world. The podcast, which aired today, can be accessed by clicking here.

Crofelemer, the active ingredient in Mytesi, is a plant-based drug extracted and purified from the red bark sap of the Croton lechleri tree found in the Amazon Rainforest. A non-opiate antidiarrheal indicated for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adult patients with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy, Mytesi is marketed by Jaguar’s wholly owned subsidiary Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

“It was a pleasure to join Dr. Quave to discuss the 30-year development history of Mytesi and the Croton lechleri tree’s rich history of medicinal use by Indigenous peoples in South America,” Dr. King said. Napo’s mission is to discover and develop novel, safe, and effective plant-based prescription medicines that relieve chronic, life-altering gastrointestinal conditions. Napo ensures that the local and Indigenous communities benefit from the sustainable harvesting and reforestation of the Croton lechleri tree. The company is developing crofelemer as a potential treatment for cancer therapy-related diarrhea in humans and chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in dogs.

On the podcast, Dr. King also discusses lechlemer, Napo’s plant-based prescription drug candidate for the symptomatic relief of diarrhea from cholera. Lechlemer, which is a drug candidate under FDA botanical guidance, is a proprietary Napo botanical extract that is distinct from Mytesi but also derived from the Croton lechleri tree.

Dr. Quave is an assistant professor of dermatology and human health at Emory University, where she serves as curator of the university’s Herbarium. She is best known for her ground-breaking research on the science of botanicals used in traditional medicine around the globe. Working with a network of scientists and healers, Dr. Quave and her team travel the world searching for new plants with healing/unique properties. Her research has been featured in the New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, and National Public Radio, among other leading print and broadcast news outlets.

Dr. King has served as Jaguar’s head of sustainable supply, ethnobotanical research and intellectual property since 2004. Prior to that, he served as the vice president of ethnobotany and conservation at Shaman Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. King has been recognized by the International Natural Products and Conservation Community for the creation and dissemination of research on the long-term sustainable harvest and management of Croton lechleri, the widespread source of crofelemer. He is currently a member of the board of directors of Healing Forest Conservatory, a California not-for-profit public benefit corporation. Dr. King holds an M.S. and Ph.D. in biology from the City University of New York (CUNY), and he received the first doctoral fellowship granted by the Institute of Economic Botany of the New York Botanical Garden.

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 development of possible Mytesi (crofelemer) follow-on indications and development efforts related to lechlemer. 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. 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.

Contact:

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

SOURCE: Jaguar Health, Inc.

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