Magdalena Biosciences coca extract prevents weight gain in mice

Magdalena Biosciences, a joint venture between Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAGX) and Filament Health Corp., has reported positive results from a 20-day preclinical study of a coca leaf extract conducted at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

The study found that a novel extract derived from coca plant leaves prevented weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet, without reducing food intake or increasing physical activity. The extract is Magdalena's prescription drug candidate intended for post-GLP-1 weight loss management and is being developed under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Botanical Guidance framework.

Weight regain is common after patients stop taking GLP-1 medications, as the appetite-suppressing effects of those drugs diminish upon discontinuation.

Steven King, PhD, Jaguar's Chief Sustainable Supply and Ethnobotanical Research Officer and a founding advisor to Magdalena, said the 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 coca leaf used in the research was supplied by Empresa Nacional de La Coca (ENACO), a Peruvian state company, with an Internationally Recognized Certificate of Compliance in accordance with Peru's Nagoya Protocol requirements.

Magdalena Biosciences was formed in 2023. One Small Planet, founded by Will Peterffy, has committed $1,000,000 in funding to the joint venture. The study was led by Principal Investigator Stephanie Borgland, PhD, at the University of Calgary.

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