Magdalena Biosciences

What Magdalena Biosciences does

Magdalena Biosciences, Inc. is a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical joint venture formed in January 2023 between Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAGX) and Filament Health Corp. (OTC: FLHLF), with funding from One Small Planet. The company is headquartered in Dover, Delaware and operates with 1-10 employees. It develops novel, plant-derived prescription medicines for mental health indications, with an initial therapeutic focus on cognitive deficits and executive dysfunction in ADHD and schizophrenia, and has since expanded into a coca leaf extract candidate for post-GLP-1 weight management. The intended end-patients are adults with ADHD (including the 20-50% who are non-responders to or intolerant of stimulants) and patients with schizophrenia (where there are no FDA-approved treatments for cognitive and negative symptoms), with a broader pipeline targeting anxiety and depression.

The company's core technology is a botanical drug development platform built on an exclusive license to Jaguar Health's proprietary library of approximately 2,300 highly characterized medicinal plants and 3,500 plant extracts, combined with Filament Health's extraction, purification, and standardization technologies. Drug development follows the FDA Botanical Guidance pathway, with the company claiming a 12-24 month timeline from project commencement to initiation of human proof-of-concept studies. Named assets include MB2500 (a botanical candidate targeting cognitive deficit in schizophrenia), an ADHD treatment candidate, a coca leaf extract for post-GLP-1 weight management, and an IND-enabled pipeline covering ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. All intellectual property from the licensed library and from new joint venture inventions is owned by Magdalena.

The business model is pre-commercial: Magdalena generates no product revenue and is currently funded through joint venture capital (an initial $1.0M from One Small Planet in January 2023 plus a second tranche in October 2023) and in-kind contributions from its JV parents (Jaguar's plant library, Filament's drug development technology). The long-term revenue model is expected to be licensing/royalties on FDA-approved botanical prescription drugs distributed through standard pharmaceutical channels. Operating geographies span the United States (HQ and research), Canada (University of Calgary preclinical partnership), and Peru (ENACO coca supply under an INIA-authorized Access and Benefit Sharing Agreement). Customers and pricing are not applicable at the preclinical stage.

Name

Magdalena Biosciences

Legal name

Magdalena Biosciences, Inc.

Website

https://magdalenabiosciences.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Magdalena Biosciences is a preclinical joint venture between Jaguar Health and Filament Health that develops FDA Botanical Guidance-compliant plant-derived prescription drugs for mental health indications (ADHD, schizophrenia) and post-GLP-1 weight management, serving patients with high unmet clinical need.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Pharmaceuticals

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAIALAA

Drug Discovery (Target ID/Validation & Hit Discovery)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Pharmaceutical Research and Development

SECONDARYHLAIACAC

Neurology & CNS Specialty Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Specialty Pharmaceuticals

Keywords

• Botanical drug development
• Plant-based pharmaceuticals
• Mental health therapeutics
• Prescription botanical drugs
• FDA botanical guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Dover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Joint Venture Funding: Magdalena Biosciences is funded through joint venture contributions from partners. Initial funding of $1 million provided by One Small Planet, with Jaguar Health contributing its proprietary plant library and Filament Health contributing drug development technology.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Magdalena Biosciences develops novel, prescription botanical drug candidates derived from a proprietary library of approximately 2,300 highly characterized medicinal plants and 3,500 plant extracts, advancing them under the FDA Botanical Guidance pathway. Its initial focus is on mental health indications including cognitive deficit in schizophrenia (lead candidate MB2500) and executive dysfunction in ADHD, with an additional program for post-GLP-1 weight management using coca leaf extract. The pipeline also includes IND-enabled candidates targeting anxiety and depression.

Product overview

Magdalena Biosciences is a joint venture between Jaguar Health and Filament Health that operates as a botanical drug development company. The company holds an exclusive license to Jaguar's proprietary library of approximately 2,300 highly characterized medicinal plants and 3,500 plant extracts. The core platform enables rapid drug development from plant collection to clinical proof-of-concept in 12-24 months. The product portfolio includes: MB2500 (first botanical drug candidate for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia), an ADHD treatment candidate targeting executive dysfunction, a coca leaf extract for post-GLP-1 weight management, and a broader pipeline of IND-enabled drugs for ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. All intellectual property and botanical drugs on the pathway to FDA approval are owned by Magdalena.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plant-Based Medicine Development Platform Paradigm-shifting drug development approach enabling project commencement to initiation of human proof-of-concept studies in 12–24 months, leveraging an exclusive license to a proprietary library of approximately 2,300 highly characterized medicinal plants and 3,500 plant extracts. Used by the joint venture partners to advance candidates through FDA Botanical Guidance.
• MB2500 First botanical drug candidate targeting cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Being developed as a novel, safe, and efficacious next-generation psychoactive FDA-approved drug under FDA Botanical Guidance, with a second candidate potentially treating both positive and negative symptoms.
• ADHD Treatment Candidate Plant-based prescription medicine candidate for treatment of executive dysfunction in adults with ADHD, addressing the 20–50% of adult patients who either are non-responders to stimulants or cannot tolerate adverse effects of current therapeutics.
• Coca Leaf Extract (Weight Management) Prescription drug candidate derived from coca leaf extract for post-GLP-1 weight loss management and weight maintenance therapy, developed under FDA Botanical Guidance targeting weight regain after discontinuation of GLP-1 medications. A 20-day preclinical study showed the extract prevented weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet without reducing food intake or increasing physical activity.
• Pipeline of IND-Enabled Botanical Drugs A pipeline of investigational new drug (IND)-enabled candidates targeting ADHD, schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression, developed from botanical sources with potential novel mechanisms of action and progressing under FDA Botanical Guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20-day preclinical study showed coca leaf extract prevented weight gain in mice on high-fat diet without reducing food intake or increasing physical activity

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of CalgarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026The University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada conducts preclinical studies for Magdalena Biosciences. The study was conducted at the university's Borgland Lab, evaluating whole leaf coca extract for appetite suppression and weight management.
• ENACO (Empresa Nacional de La Coca)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2025ENACO is Peru's state company providing coca leaf material for Magdalena's research under internationally recognized compliance protocols. The partnership includes a Coca Access and Benefit Sharing Agreement authorized by Peru's National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA).
• Jaguar Health, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2023Jaguar Health formed Magdalena Biosciences as a joint venture to develop plant-based medicines for mental health disorders. Jaguar contributes its proprietary library of approximately 2,300 medicinal plants and 3,500 plant extracts. Jaguar is a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company (NASDAQ: JAGX) focused on plant-based prescription medicines.
• Filament Health Corp.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2023Filament Health, a clinical-stage natural psychedelic drug development company (OTC: FLHLF), contributes its drug development technology and expertise to the joint venture. Filament holds its interest in the joint venture through its wholly owned subsidiary.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Filament Health Corp. Clinical-stage natural psychedelic and botanical drug developer; co-parent of Magdalena Biosciences and direct partner providing botanical drug development technology and extraction expertise. Operates the same botanical-drug development model in adjacent psychedelic indications.
• Jaguar Health, Inc. Commercial-stage plant-based prescription medicine company (NASDAQ: JAGX), inventor of FDA-approved Mytesi (first oral botanical drug); co-parent of Magdalena and contributor of the proprietary plant library. Functions as the established version of the same business model Magdalena is replicating for CNS.
• Tonix Pharmaceuticals: Clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing prescription drugs with CNS and botanical origins, including candidates targeting mental health and CNS disorders with novel mechanisms of action — a directly comparable botanical-discovery-plus-prescription-drug model.

Broad incumbents

• Karuna Therapeutics: Pioneer in CNS drug development for schizophrenia's cognitive and negative symptoms (now part of BMS via Cobenfy/xanomeline). Direct overlap with Magdalena's primary CNS indication, but operates from synthetic small-molecule chemistry rather than botany-based discovery.
• Sage Therapeutics: Specialty CNS biopharma developing neuropsychiatric therapies including Zurzuvae (postpartum depression) and prior schizophrenia programs — directly relevant comparator for a CNS-focused development company pursuing under-treated mental health indications.
• Axsome Therapeutics: Commercial CNS biopharma with Auvelity (depression) and other approved CNS drugs, targeting ADHD and other neuropsychiatric indications. Comparable revenue-stage specialty-CNS company pursuing adjacent mental health opportunities.
• Intra-Cellular Therapies: Commercial CNS biopharma behind Caplyta, a primary treatment for schizophrenia including management of negative symptoms. Closest large-pharma comparator in the cognitive/negative-symptom schizophrenia niche Magdalena is pursuing.
• Acadia Pharmaceuticals: Commercial specialty CNS biopharma with NUPLAZID and DAYBUE in CNS/neurology. Most established small-cap specialty-CNS comparator relevant to Magdalena's CNS-prescription-drug aspirations.

Emerging players

• Compass Pathways: Clinical-stage psychedelic medicine company developing psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression and other mental health indications. Emerging player using naturally-derived psychoactive compounds for mental health — closely adjacent to Magdalena's ethnobotanical CNS thesis.
• atai Life Sciences: Clinical-stage biopharma developing psychedelic and mental health therapies with multiple CNS programs. Comparable thesis of treating refractory psychiatric conditions with novel, naturally-derived mechanisms of action.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magdalena-biosciences

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magdalena Biosciences