Napo Pharma Endorses Prevention Access Campaign's U=U Consensus Statement

Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a human health company developing and commercializing novel gastrointestinal prescription products from plants used traditionally in rainforest areas, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar Health, Inc., announced that it has joined more than 400 organizations from 59 countries in supporting the U=U Consensus Statement.

The Prevention Access Campaign's Undetectable = Untransmittable message underscores that a person living with HIV who is on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and has a sustained undetectable viral load for at least six months, has a negligible risk of sexual transmission of HIV. This scientific consensus statement has been endorsed by leading HIV experts, and researchers from around the world and Napo supports this message to raise global awareness about the effectiveness of HIV treatment and to destigmatize the disease.

"Napo has been and continues to be an advocate for the HIV community and their healthcare providers through our endorsement of the U=U Consensus Statement, our sponsorship of the My HIV Thank You platform, and our educational awareness programs. We firmly believe that living with HIV requires access to the most up-to-date research and experts," said Lisa Conte, CEO, Napo Pharmaceuticals. "In addition, we have launched educational awareness programs targeting chronic diarrhea, as it continues to be a significant, neglected symptom in HIV/AIDS patients. Relevant to the U=U movement, diarrhea can lead patients to interrupt or discontinue their ART. Educating people living with HIV and their healthcare providers about Mytesi� -- and providing them with access to this FDA-approved prescription drug -- underpins everything we do."

"U=U is a life-changing message for people living with HIV, but not enough people know about it yet," said Bruce Richman, who was diagnosed in 2003 and is the Executive Director of Prevention Access Campaign. "We're thrilled that Napo is joining the U=U campaign to empower people with HIV with the knowledge that changes lives, dismantles stigma, and gets us closer to ending the epidemic."

"Even though patients are undetectable, and cannot transmit the virus to a partner, the effects of the virus on the GI tract, known as HIV enteropathy, may remain in spite of viral suppression in the blood. CD4 counts are slower to recover in the gut and don't recover to the same level as in the plasma. HIV enteropathy is chronic persistent diarrhea in PLWHA and is a problem that affects as many as twenty percent of HIV patients," stated Dr. Gary Blick, Chief Medical Officer, Health Care Advocates International and Co-Founder of HIV Advocates.

While Napo recognizes that many people living with HIV/AIDS are undetectable, one in five still suffers from diarrhea1.
Launched by Napo in October 2016, Mytesi� is the only antidiarrheal studied in and U.S. FDA-approved for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Mytesi� is a prescription treatment for diarrhea that works differently, by acting locally in the GI tract to normalize the flow of water. Mytesi� does not have drug-drug interactions with ART, does not affect GI motility, and has side effects that are similar to placebo.

As announced last month, Napo significantly expanded its national salesforce for Mytesi� through the recent hire in key U.S. markets of six sales representatives experienced in the sale of drugs to HIV physicians and gastroenterologists. With the equivalent of seven dedicated, full-time sales representatives now reporting to a newly hired national sales manager, supported by concomitant marketing, promotional and medical education initiatives, Jaguar and Napo expect a proportional response in the number of patients treated with Mytesi�.

Jaguar and Napo estimate the potential U.S. market for Mytesi� to be approximately $100 million in gross annual sales and anticipate that Mytesi� will generate approximately $7.0 million in revenue by April 2018 for its current FDA-approved specialty indication.