Napo Pharmaceuticals launches Mytesi

NEW YORK — Napo Pharmaceuticals on Thursday announced the launch of its Mytesi (crofelemer), approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for non-infectious diarrhea in patients with HIV/AIDS on retroviral therapy. The active ingredient is a plant-based drug extracted from the red bark sap of a tree in the Amazon, for which Napo has set up a sustainable harvesting program. 

 

“Chronic, symptomatic diarrhea remains a significant, underreported consequence of HIV, whether due to the side effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) or the direct effect of HIV on the gastrointestinal (GI) tract,” Napo Pharmaceuticals founder and CEO Lisa Conte said. “This problem is only going to increase as the HIV+ population gets older; more than 40 percent of people currently living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are over the age of 50.”

 

Formerly marketed as Fulyzaq, the launch as Mytesi also brings with it the unveiling of Mytesi Copay Savings Program and NapoCares Patient Assistance Program, which the company said is aimed at providing broad and affordable access to the drug. The Mytesi Copay Savings Program includes copay assistance to eligible patients with private health insurance, and its goal is to have patients not pay more than $25 for a Mystesi prescription. The NapoCares Patient Assistance Program will provide Mytesi free of charge to eligible patients without insurance and who may not be able to afford medication. 

 

“By launching Mytesi, not only are we making this important drug widely available, we are including two important patient assistance programs to ensure that patients can gain access to our drug, regardless of insurance or economic status,” Conte said. “The launch of Mytesi also highlights Napo's dedication to both superior patient care and corporate responsibility.”