SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 19, 2016--
Jaguar Animal Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:JAGX) (“Jaguar”), an animal health
company focused on developing and commercializing first-in-class
gastrointestinal products for companion and production animals, foals,
and high value horses, today announced that it has appointed Dr. Ari
Azhir, a highly accomplished pharmaceutical and biotechnology executive
with extensive operational, fundraising, execution, and strategy
development experience, to the Company’s board of directors. Dr. Azhir
has also been appointed to Jaguar’s Audit Committee and Compensation
Committee.
Dr. Azhir is an entrepreneur and has been a founder and CEO of two
companies focused on central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics:
Neuraltus Pharmaceuticals and Neurocea LLC. She has broad experience
launching and building life science companies and has successfully
commercialized and brought more than 20 healthcare products to market,
ranging from small molecule pharmaceuticals for CNS and dermatology to
disruptive technologies in medical devices. These technologies include
flow cytometry products at Becton Dickinson and ultrasound devices at
Accuson, where she held executive management positions. Dr. Azhir has
wide-ranging drug development experience and has filed an NDA and gained
approval for Luxiq®, a drug that has been successfully
commercialized. She also has extensive experience building strong patent
portfolios and is the key inventor and patent holder of 12 patents. She
serves on the translational research board of UCSF and has served on
private boards (Polar Springs and Neuraltus), as well as nonprofit
boards (The Hearing Society and American Women in Science).
Dr. Azhir received her B.SC in Biochemistry and Mathematics, as well as
her M.Ph. in Biophysics, from Kings’ College, London University, and
received a PhD. in Biophysics from Tehran University.
“We are very pleased to have a highly experienced pharmaceutical and
biotechnology executive of Dr. Azhir’s stature join our board,”
commented Lisa Conte, Jaguar’s president and CEO. “We also anticipate
that Dr. Azhir’s human health experience will prove quite beneficial as
Jaguar progresses discussions towards our proposed merger with Napo
Pharmaceuticals.”
As the Company announced on October 6, 2016, Jaguar and Napo
Pharmaceuticals (Napo) have signed a non-binding letter of intent
potentially to merge the two companies. Napo focuses on human product
development and commercialization from plants used traditionally in
rainforest areas, and this past October Napo commercially launched Mytesi™,
a human-specific formulation of crofelemer approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration in 2012 for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious
diarrhea in adults with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy.
“I am very pleased to have joined Jaguar’s team,” commented Dr. Azhir.
“I fully support the Jaguar team’s mission to build on their past
success in the development of plant-based anti-secretory
gastrointestinal treatments for humans to become a global leader in the
field of companion and production animal gastrointestinal health.”
About Mytesi™
Mytesi™ (crofelemer) is an antidiarrheal indicated for the
symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adult patients with
HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Mytesi™ is not
indicated for the treatment of infectious diarrhea. Rule out infectious
etiologies of diarrhea before starting Mytesi™. If infectious
etiologies are not considered, there is a risk that patients with
infectious etiologies will not receive the appropriate therapy and their
disease may worsen. In clinical studies, the most common adverse
reactions occurring at a rate greater than placebo were upper
respiratory tract infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%),
flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).
More information and complete Prescribing Information are available at Mytesi.com.
About Jaguar Animal Health, Inc.
Jaguar Animal Health, Inc. is an animal health company focused on
developing and commercializing first-in-class gastrointestinal products
for companion and production animals, foals, and high value horses.
Canalevia™ is Jaguar’s lead prescription drug product
candidate, intended for the treatment of various forms of diarrhea in
dogs. Equilevia™ (formerly referred to as SB-300) is Jaguar’s
prescription drug product candidate for the treatment of
gastrointestinal ulcers in horses. Canalevia™ and Equilevia™
contain ingredients isolated and purified from the Croton lechleri
tree, which is sustainably harvested. Neonorm™ Calf and
Neonorm™ Foal are the Company’s lead non-prescription
products. Neonorm™ is a standardized botanical extract
derived from the Croton lechleri tree. Canalevia™ and
Neonorm™ are distinct products that act at the same last step
in a physiological pathway generally present in mammals. Jaguar has nine
active investigational new animal drug applications, or INADs, filed
with the FDA and intends to develop species-specific formulations of
Neonorm™ in six additional target species, formulations of
Equilevia™ in horses, and Canalevia™ for cats and
dogs.
For more information, please visit www.jaguaranimalhealth.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of
1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These
include statements regarding the Company’s expectation that Dr. Azhir’s
human health experience will prove beneficial as Jaguar progresses
discussions towards its proposed merger with Napo Pharmaceuticals,
Jaguar’s intention to develop species-specific formulations of Neonorm™
in six additional target species, formulations of Equilevia™
in horses, and Canalevia™ for cats and dogs. 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.
Jaguar-JAGX
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161219005335/en/
Source: Jaguar Animal Health, Inc.
KCSA Strategic Communications
Garth Russell, 212-896-1250
grussell@kcsa.com
