Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAGX) and its subsidiary Napo Pharmaceuticals are proud to announce the addition of Dr. Kelly Shanahan to their Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Shanahan is a former clinician, a metastatic breast cancer patient, and now a full-time independent patient advocate. Her expertise and experience will be a valuable asset to the Jaguar/Napo team as they continue to strive for innovative and effective treatments to improve the lives of patients.
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Shanahan to our Scientific Advisory Board! Her deep dedication to patient comfort and dignity, especially when it comes to preventing and reducing cancer therapy-related diarrhea (CTD), make her an invaluable addition to our team.
As both a healthcare provider and cancer patient, she brings a unique and valuable perspective that will help us in our clinical development program, which is focused on addressing this highly unmet and neglected comorbidity of CTD. Pravin Chaturvedi, PhD, Napo and Jaguar’s Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board and Chief Scientific Officer, is excited to have Dr. Shanahan join the SAB.
Dr. Shanahan is delighted to join the Jaguar/Napo SAB, in order to collaborate with existing SAB members and support the development of crofelemer, which has a one-of-a-kind physiological process for treating CTD.
With patient enrollment reaching completion in the second quarter of 2023 for the Company’s pivotal OnTarget Phase 3 clinical trial of crofelemer for prophylaxis of diarrhea in adult cancer patients receiving targeted therapy with or without chemotherapy, now is an especially thrilling time to be a part of the Company’s SAB.
Crofelemer is a game-changer for the prophylaxis of CTD and cutting down on the management of acute chronic diarrhea with opioids, which themselves can cause constipation. Patients don’t want to take yet more drugs to combat the side effects of treatment–crofelemer could be the answer they need.
We are thrilled to have Kelly’s unique voice and insight on how essential supportive care management is for successful cancer treatment outcomes. As founder, president, and chief executive officer of Jaguar, Lisa Conte is excited to hear her perspective and make this an integral part of our mission.
Dr. Shanahan was a successful obstetrics and gynecology physician living the dream – traveling the world with her family and taking in the joys of life. But in 2008, her world was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with stage IIB breast cancer. She thought it would be a mere bump in the road, but five years later she was shocked to find out that the cancer had metastasized to virtually every bone in her body.
With a broken vertebrae and a left femur about to break, the cancer had taken its toll and Dr. Shanahan had to give up her career. Rather than giving up, Dr. Shanahan has taken her experience to become a passionate advocate for metastatic cancer patients.
She is on the board of METAvivor, a member of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, a Komen Advocate in Science, a grant reviewer, and a research advocate. She is committed to getting patients to the table in the design, implementation, and follow-up of clinical trials and is determined to make a difference in the lives of other cancer patients.
About Cancer Therapy-related Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a common side effect of many cancer therapies, including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and CDK 4/6 inhibitors. Unfortunately, this can have serious consequences for patients, such as dehydration, potential infections, and non-adherence to treatment.
Diarrhea can cause patients to take cancer therapy drug holidays or reduce their therapeutic doses, which may impact their overall treatment outcome. To help manage this side effect, it is important to identify and address the underlying causes of diarrhea in order to ensure the best possible outcome for patients undergoing cancer therapy.
About Jaguar Health, Jaguar Animal Health, Napo Pharmaceuticals, & Napo Therapeutics
Jaguar Health, Inc. is a commercial stage pharmaceuticals company that is blazing a trail in the development of novel, plant-based, sustainably derived prescription medicines to help people and animals with GI distress, including chronic and debilitating diarrhea.
Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Jaguar Health is devoted to developing and commercializing proprietary human pharmaceuticals from sustainably harvested rainforest plants.
Currently, the company is running the OnTarget study, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for the prophylaxis of diarrhea in adult cancer patients receiving targeted therapy, with its crofelemer drug product candidate.
Additionally, Jaguar Health has established Napo Therapeutics S.p.A. (f/k/a Napo EU S.p.A.), an Italian corporation based in Milan, to expand crofelemer access in Europe. Jaguar Animal Health is a tradename of Jaguar Health.