Napo Pharmaceuticals
Napo Pharmaceuticals is a San Francisco-based Jaguar Health subsidiary that develops plant-based gastrointestinal drugs, led by FDA-approved crofelemer (Mytesi) for HIV/AIDS-related diarrhea, with pipeline programs in cancer therapy-related diarrhea and rare pediatric intestinal failure diseases such as MVID and SBS-IF.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Napo Pharmaceuticals does
Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a San Francisco-based, privately held pharmaceutical company and wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAGX) that develops and commercializes proprietary, plant-based gastrointestinal drugs for supportive care and rare intestinal diseases. Its core asset is crofelemer, an FDA-approved first-in-class botanical drug extracted from the sustainably harvested Croton lechleri (sangre de drago) tree sap, which works through a novel mechanism of inhibitory modulation of two secretory chloride ion channels in the gut. The commercial portfolio includes Mytesi for noninfectious diarrhea in adults with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy, Canalevia-CA1 for chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in dogs, and Gelclair for oral mucositis in cancer patients, while the pipeline targets cancer therapy-related diarrhea (Phase 3 OnTarget), rare pediatric intestinal failure indications including microvillus inclusion disease and short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure (orphan drug designation in the US and EU), and infectious diarrhea via NP-300.
Napo generates revenue through a hybrid model combining product sales, out-licensing, and milestone payments. In January 2026 the company entered an exclusive US licensing agreement with Future Pak for Mytesi and Canalevia-CA1, receiving an upfront payment plus milestones and transferring commercialization while retaining manufacturing; this drove consolidated revenue to $20.2M in Q1 2026, versus $3.24M in Q4 2025. The company's go-to-market combines medical conference engagement (ESPGHAN, NASPGHAN, ONS), an investigator-initiated trial program in academic centers across the US, Germany, Italy, and the UAE, and a dedicated Mytesi call center; a parallel Italian subsidiary, Napo Therapeutics S.P.A., runs the SBS-IF clinical program in Europe. Operationally the company operates with 11-50 employees and is also exploring broader strategic alternatives at the Jaguar Health parent level.
Napo Pharmaceuticals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Napo Pharmaceuticals
- Legal name
- Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Website
- https://napopharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Napo Pharmaceuticals is a San Francisco-based Jaguar Health subsidiary that develops plant-based gastrointestinal drugs, led by FDA-approved crofelemer (Mytesi) for HIV/AIDS-related diarrhea, with pipeline programs in cancer therapy-related diarrhea and rare pediatric intestinal failure diseases such as MVID and SBS-IF.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Napo Pharmaceuticals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Pharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gastroenterology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAE)
Keywords
Where Napo Pharmaceuticals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Napo Pharmaceuticals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Mytesi Sales: Sales of FDA-approved Mytesi (crofelemer) for symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adults with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy. Licensed exclusively to Future Pak for US commercialization while Napo retains manufacturing.
- Canalevia-CA1 Sales: Sales of FDA-approved Canalevia-CA1 for chemotherapy-induced diarrhea in dogs. Licensed exclusively to Future Pak for US commercialization.
- Licensing Milestone Payments: Potential milestone payments from Future Pak licensing agreement up to $20 million. Received $16 million upfront and $3 million additional payment in early 2026.
- Strategic Licensing Agreement: January 2026 licensing agreement with Future Pak generating $18 million upfront plus potential milestones; resulted in 816% revenue surge to $20.2 million in Q1 2026.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Napo Pharmaceuticals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Napo Pharmaceuticals develops and commercializes proprietary, plant-based prescription pharmaceuticals derived from Croton lechleri (sangre de drago) tree sap, with its lead compound crofelemer approved for symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in HIV/AIDS adults and in development for cancer therapy-related diarrhea and rare pediatric intestinal failure disorders (MVID, SBS-IF). The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar Health and operates a licensing-based commercial model.
Product overview
Napo Pharmaceuticals is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar Health that develops and commercializes proprietary, plant-based gastrointestinal pharmaceuticals. Their core product portfolio includes Mytesi (crofelemer), an FDA-approved delayed-release tablet for noninfectious diarrhea in HIV/AIDS patients, and Canalevia-CA1 for veterinary use. The company is actively developing crofelemer in multiple formulations and indications including: powder for oral solution targeting rare pediatric conditions like microvillus inclusion disease (MVID) and short bowel syndrome with intestinal failure (SBS-IF); and the OnTarget Phase 3 trial for cancer therapy-related diarrhea (CTD). Additional products include Gelclair for oral mucositis and NP-300 for infectious diarrhea. All lead products are derived from the Croton lechleri tree (sangre de drago) harvested from rainforest regions using sustainable practices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mytesi: FDA-approved prescription drug (crofelemer) for symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy
- Canalevia-CA1
- Gelclair
Products and services
- Mytesi (crofelemer)
Quantifiable outcome
- Parenteral support reduction of 12-37% in pediatric intestinal failure patients
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Napo Pharmaceuticals
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Napo Pharmaceuticals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Napo Pharmaceuticals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Future Pak, LLCcoreJanuary 2026 licensing agreement making Future Pak the exclusive marketer of Mytesi and Canalevia-CA1 in the US. Napo received $16 million upfront and $3 million additional payment; up to $20 million in milestone payments remaining. Napo retains manufacturing responsibilities while Future Pak handles commercialization beyond the initial five-year period.
- Sheikh Khalifa Medical CitycoreIndependent investigator-initiated proof-of-concept study of crofelemer liquid formulation in pediatric intestinal failure patients conducted at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Study demonstrated parenteral support reductions of 12-37% in MVID and SBS patients with patients on treatment for more than one year.
- Napo Therapeutics S.P.A.coreItalian corporation established by Jaguar Health in 2021 focused on rare disease indications for crofelemer. Led by rare-disease management professionals. Currently enrolling adult SBS-IF patients in randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial at sites in Germany and Italy.
- Woodward Specialty LLCminorProduct inventory sales arrangement for Napo products; $1.0 million received in April 2026 as part of non-dilutive capital improvement.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Napo Pharmaceuticals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Entera Bio: Clinical-stage biotech with oral peptide platform addressing hypoparathyroidism and metabolic bone disease; comparable as a small-cap, pipeline-focused therapeutics company with a niche specialty pharma profile.
- Synthetic Biologics: Clinical-stage biotech developing anti-infective and GI therapeutics including treatments for C. difficile and chemotherapy-induced diarrhea; comparable given shared focus on supportive care in oncology and infectious GI disease.
Broad incumbents
- Salix Pharmaceuticals: GI-focused specialty pharma (now part of Bausch Health) with a broad portfolio of prescription GI products; comparable as a leading prescription GI therapeutics franchise targeting similar physician specialties.
- Jaguar Health: Parent company of Napo Pharmaceuticals and developer of Mytesi/Crofelemer at the corporate level; included as the immediate corporate parent and animal-health-focused sponsor of Napo's human pharma pipeline.
- Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals: Specialty pharma with a gastroenterology portfolio (e.g., Amitiza) and rare disease focus; comparable as a larger specialty pharma with overlap in GI and rare disease therapeutics.
Direct peers
- Ardelyx: Commercial-stage GI specialty pharma with novel mechanism drugs (tenapanor for IBS-C and hyperphosphatemia); highly comparable as a small-cap, mechanism-focused GI therapeutics developer pursuing niche indications.
- Sebela Pharmaceuticals: Private GI specialty pharma developing treatments for IBS, chronic constipation, and rare GI conditions; comparable as a privately-held GI therapeutics developer focused on supportive care and niche indications.
- Ironwood Pharmaceuticals: GI specialty pharma behind Linzess (linaclotide) for IBS-C and chronic constipation; comparable business model of developing and commercializing novel-mechanism GI drugs for chronic conditions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Napo Pharmaceuticals social profiles
Digital presenceNapo Pharmaceuticals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Napo Pharmaceuticals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Napo Pharmaceuticals subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Napo Pharmaceuticals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Napo Pharmaceuticals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Napo Pharmaceuticals
What does Napo Pharmaceuticals do?
Napo Pharmaceuticals develops and commercializes proprietary, plant-based prescription pharmaceuticals derived from Croton lechleri (sangre de drago) tree sap, with its lead compound crofelemer approved for symptomatic relief of noninfectious diarrhea in HIV/AIDS adults and in development for cancer therapy-related diarrhea and rare pediatric intestinal failure disorders (MVID, SBS-IF). The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jaguar Health and operates a licensing-based commercial model.
Is Napo Pharmaceuticals a public or private company?
Napo Pharmaceuticals is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Napo Pharmaceuticals founded?
Napo Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Napo Pharmaceuticals based?
Napo Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Napo Pharmaceuticals make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Mytesi Sales are the primary driver. The others are canalevia-CA1 Sales, licensing Milestone Payments and strategic Licensing Agreement.
Who are Napo Pharmaceuticals's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Entera Bio and Synthetic Biologics. Broad incumbents are Salix Pharmaceuticals, Jaguar Health and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. Direct peers are Ardelyx, Sebela Pharmaceuticals and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals.
Does Napo Pharmaceuticals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Napo Pharmaceuticals.
What industry is Napo Pharmaceuticals in?
Napo Pharmaceuticals's product category is Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIACAE, Gastroenterology Specialty Pharmaceuticals. Its NAICS code is 325412 and its SIC code is 2834.