''Under Pressure'' Episode of Merce Uses Comedy to Help People Living with HIV Talk About Diarrhea
Merce Series Creator and Cast Members Will Appear with Napo Pharmaceuticals, the Lead Sponsor of Merce Season 2, at AIDS Walk New York in Central Park on May 20, 2018
SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 15, 2018 / Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Napo), a human health company developing and commercializing novel gastrointestinal prescription products from plants used traditionally in rainforest areas, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar Health, Inc. (JAGX) (Jaguar), announced today that, in conjunction with its continuing efforts to raise awareness around the problem of HIV-related diarrhea, the Company is supporting the production of Merce, an award-winning musical comedy web series about a middle-aged, HIV-positive man living in New York City, which aims to show that 'Life can be positive when you're positive!' A special short episode called ''Under Pressure'' has been produced by the Merce team that Napo will use in its awareness campaign. The episode can be viewed at http://enoughdiarrhea.com/video.html.
''I am overjoyed and delighted with the response we have received to season 1 from our community and our audience. The first season of Merce would have never happened without the support of our patrons,'' stated Charles Sanchez, the co-producer, writer and star of Merce. ''In season 2's brand new episodes, fans will be delighted by the hard-hitting topics we tackle - such as coping with HIV-related diarrhea.''
To learn more, visit Napo at AIDS Walk New York in Central Park on May 20, 2018 as Napo continues to raise awareness among the HIV community that HIV+ individuals don't just have to live with diarrhea. The Company will have a Mytesi® tent at the event where visitors can participate in Napo's ongoing ''Keep Your Pants On'' campaign by having their picture taken with Merce cast members. Participants who share the pictures on their social media feeds will receive a free Merce t-shirt or tank top.
Dr. Ronald J. Grossman, a New York City-based infectious disease specialist who has been treating HIV+ individuals since 1981, commented, ''I have seen firsthand the impact of diarrhea on my HIV+ patients. When patients have to map their day around where the next bathroom is, they miss out on so much. Patients and their physicians should learn about the availability of Mytesi®, the only drug that has been specifically studied in and FDA-approved for the management of non-infectious diarrhea in people living with HIV.''
Mytesi® (crofelemer), is a prescription drug approved by the FDA for adults living with HIV/AIDS who take antiretroviral therapy (ART) who have diarrhea not caused by an infection. Mytesi® works differently, by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract. Mytesi® has side effects that are similar to placebo, does not affect viral load or CD4 counts and has no drug-drug interactions.
To learn more about what you can do about HIV-related diarrhea, visit Mytesi.com.
Merce is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. To donate to the funding campaign for Merce season 2, visit MerceTheSeries.com. Campaign contributions must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
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%).
See full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com. Crofelemer, the active ingredient in Mytesi®, is a botanical (plant-based) drug extracted and purified from the red bark sap of the medicinal Croton lechleri tree in the Amazon rainforest. Napo has established a sustainable harvesting program for crofelemer to ensure a high degree of quality and ecological integrity.
About Jaguar Health, Inc.
Jaguar Health, Inc. is a commercial stage natural-products pharmaceuticals company focused on developing novel, sustainably derived gastrointestinal products on a global basis. Our wholly-owned subsidiary, Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., focuses on developing and commercializing proprietary human gastrointestinal pharmaceuticals for the global marketplace from plants used traditionally in rainforest areas. Our Mytesi® (crofelemer) product is approved by the U.S. FDA for the symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adults with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy.
For more information about Jaguar, please visit jaguar.health. For more information about Napo, visit napopharma.com.
Media Contacts:
Kate Tumino / Lisa Lipson
KCSA Strategic Communications
ktumino@kcsa.com / llipson@kcsa.com
212-896-1252 / 508-843-6428
Jaguar-JAGX
SOURCE: Jaguar Health, Inc.
