Magdalena Biosciences begins preclinical study of coca for appetite control

Magdalena Biosciences, a joint venture between Jaguar Health Inc. (NASDAQ: JAGX) and Filament Health Corp. (OTC: FLHLF), has initiated a preclinical study evaluating whole leaf coca extract for appetite suppression, according to a company statement.

The one-month study in mice is being conducted in Alberta, Canada. The coca leaf extract represents Magdalena's drug candidate for post-GLP-1 weight loss management, targeting individuals who have discontinued GLP-1 medications and seek to maintain weight loss.

"Indigenous peoples and healers in the Andean region of Peru have utilized coca for centuries to manage hunger and fatigue," said Steven King, Jaguar's Chief Sustainable Supply and Ethnobotanical Research Officer. King noted that weight regain is common after stopping GLP-1 drugs because the body's natural weight-regulation system often returns to its previous state when the medication is removed.

The coca leaf used in the research program was provided by Empresa Nacional de La Coca (ENACO), a Peruvian state company, with an Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance under Peru's Nagoya Protocol requirements.

Magdalena also plans to evaluate coca for potential mental health and central nervous system indications, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and other neuropsychiatric conditions.

Magdalena Biosciences was formed in 2023 as a joint venture between Jaguar Health and Filament Health to develop prescription medicines derived from plants for mental health and CNS indications. Boulder-based One Small Planet has committed $1 million in funding to the collaboration.

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