Magdalena Biosciences, a Joint Venture Between Jaguar Health and Filament Health, Announces Positive Results of Preclinical Study of Coca for Weight Gain Prevention
Rhea-AI Summary
Jaguar Health (NASDAQ:JAGX) announced positive preclinical results from Magdalena Biosciences, its joint venture with Filament Health, for a whole-leaf coca extract drug candidate aimed at post-GLP-1 weight loss management.
In a 20-day mouse study on a high-fat diet, the extract prevented weight gain without reducing food intake or increasing activity.
Positive
- 20-day preclinical mouse study showed coca extract prevented weight gain on high-fat diet
- No reduction in food intake or increase in physical activity observed with coca extract
- Coca extract positioned as prescription candidate for post-GLP-1 weight maintenance
- Candidate intended for development under FDA Botanical Guidance framework
- Coca leaf supply secured through ENACO with Nagoya Protocol compliance
Negative
- Evidence currently limited to a single 20-day preclinical mouse study
- No human clinical trial results or regulatory timelines disclosed
News Market Reaction – JAGX
In the Jun 18 session, JAGX declined 5.46%, reflecting a notable negative market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -19.6% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 10 alerts that day, indicating notable trading interest and price volatility.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Previous Partnership Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 16 | Coca study launch | Positive | +0.7% | Initiation of coca-based preclinical study within Magdalena joint venture framework. |
| Dec 02 | Pet conference outreach | Positive | -1.9% | Conference participation to seek NP300 partnering for canine diarrhea indication. |
| Nov 22 | NP300 partner search | Positive | +5.6% | Announcement of formal process to secure partner for NP300 development. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Partnership headlines for JAGX have generally led to modest positive price moves, though one event saw a negative reaction.
Key Terms
glp-1 medical
botanical guidance regulatory
internationally recognized certificate of compliance (ircc) regulatory
nagoya protocol regulatory
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Whole leaf coca extract under evaluation is Magdalena's drug candidate for post-GLP-1 weight loss management
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / June 18, 2026 / Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAGX) ("Jaguar") today announced that the results of a preclinical study initiated by Magdalena Biosciences ("Magdalena"), a US-based joint venture formed by Jaguar and Canada-based Filament Health Corp. ("Filament"), demonstrate that a novel extract derived from leaves of the coca plant prevented weight gain in mice submitted to a high fat diet without reducing food intake or increasing physical activity. The coca leaf extract under evaluation is Magdalena's prescription drug candidate for post-GLP-1 weight loss management, intended for development under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Botanical Guidance.
It is common for people to regain weight after stopping GLP-1 medications because these drugs help reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness while they are being taken. When treatment is discontinued, these effects diminish, and the body's mechanisms that regulate hunger and body weight may promote weight gain.
"We're very pleased with the results of this 20-day preclinical study, which was conducted at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada," said Steven King, PhD, Jaguar's Chief Sustainable Supply and Ethnobotanical Research Officer and a founding Advisor to Magdalena. "The study results support our thesis that the coca leaf extract under evaluation may have the potential to serve as a weight maintenance therapy following cessation of GLP-1 therapy. The rebound effect observed after discontinuation of GLP-1 therapies, characterized by weight gain, highlights a significant unmet need for safe, long-term weight management solutions. A coca extract-based prescription drug developed under the FDA's Botanical Guidance, which is likely to have a low abuse potential, would logically fit into this therapeutic niche."
Indigenous peoples and healers in the Andean region of Peru have utilized coca for centuries to manage hunger and fatigue. The coca leaf that is part of this Magdalena research and development program was provided to Magdalena by Empresa Nacional de La Coca (ENACO), a Peruvian state company dedicated to the commercialization of the coca leaf and derivatives, with an Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance (IRCC) in compliance with the Nagoya Protocol requirements of Peru.
"We believe the development of FDA-approved drugs from 'whole extract' coca leaf can provide therapeutic benefit, and that the development process will benefit the people of Peru, who have been sustainably producing coca leaves for several thousand years. Plant-derived medicines offer potential new mechanisms of action while being potentially safer than chemically synthesized small molecule drugs that may have 'off target' effects," Dr. King said. "We are grateful to the people of the Andean region who have domesticated the sacred plant, 'mama coca,' which is and has been part of the medical systems of indigenous communities for an estimated 8,000 years."
"We are pleased that the Borgland Lab at the University of Calgary was able to collaborate with Magdalena Biosciences to evaluate the biological activity of coca in our facility," said Stephanie Borgland, PhD, the Principal Investigator for the preclinical study in mice.
ABOUT MAGDALENA BIOSCIENCES
Jaguar Health, Inc. and Filament Health Corp. formed Magdalena Biosciences, Inc. as a joint venture in 2023 to develop novel, natural prescription medicines derived from plants for mental health and CNS indications. Boulder, Colorado-based One Small Planet, founded by Will Peterffy, has committed to funding of US
ABOUT FILAMENT HEALTH
Filament Health is a clinical-stage natural psychedelic drug development company. We believe that safe, standardized, naturally-derived psychedelic medicines can improve the lives of many, and our mission is to see them in the hands of everyone who needs them as soon as possible. Filament's platform of proprietary intellectual property enables the discovery, development, and delivery of natural psychedelic medicines. We are paving the way with what we believe to be the first-ever natural psychedelic drug candidates.
Learn more at www.filament.health and on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the Jaguar Health Family of Companies
Jaguar Health, Inc. ("Jaguar") develops novel proprietary prescription drugs sustainably derived from plants for people with complicated gastrointestinal ("GI") disease states. Jaguar family companies Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Napo Therapeutics S.p.A. focus on the development and commercialization of novel crofelemer powder for oral solution for the treatment of rare and orphan gastrointestinal disorders with intestinal failure, including microvillus inclusion disease and short bowel syndrome. Magdalena Biosciences, a joint venture formed by Jaguar and Filament Health Corp. that emerged from Jaguar's Entheogen Therapeutics Initiative (ETI), is focused on developing novel prescription medicines derived from plants for weight gain prevention and mental health indications.
For more information about:
Jaguar Health, visit https://jaguar.health
Napo Pharmaceuticals, visit napopharma.com
Napo Therapeutics, visit napotherapeutics.com
Magdalena Biosciences, visit magdalenabiosciences.com
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." These include statements regarding the expectation that a 'whole extract' of coca leaf may have the potential to serve as a weight maintenance therapy following cessation of GLP-1 therapy, the expectation that development of drugs from 'whole extract' coca leaf can provide therapeutic benefit and that the development process will benefit the people of Peru. 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 Info:
hello@jaguar.health
Jaguar-JAGX
SOURCE: Jaguar Health, Inc.
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire