Peru's Coca Leaf Will Be Used For Research Toward Treating ADHD, Learn The Details

Magdalena Biosciences, Jaguar Health JAGX and Filament Health FLHLF recently formed a joint venture to develop novel plant-based medicines for mental health indications. They completed the import of Peruvian coca leaf to Canada to be assessed for the potential treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults.

Once understood as a childhood disorder, ADHD commonly persists and affects around 50-65% of adults (5.2% of U.S. adults between 18 and 44.) Current treatments face challenges, with 20-50% of adult patients unresponsive or intolerant to them; new therapeutics in development show promise but have significant side effects. Meanwhile, botanical drugs are believed to offer potential advantages, including improved safety profiles. 

The import of coca leaves was authorized by the Peruvian Health Authority (DIGEMID) and will head to Filament’s facility, Psilo Scientific for initial research purposes for ADHD, extending to depression and anxiety.

The cargo was produced by ENACO, reportedly the only company in Peru authorized to collect, distribute and export coca leaves and their derived products.

Steven King, Ph.D., Jaguar's chief sustainable supply, ethnobotanical researcher, IP officer and Magdalena advisor who facilitated the relationship with ENACO, says the team is grateful to the Peruvian government for their cooperation and looks forward to the start of Madgalena’s “pioneering” research.

"In traditional medicine, coca leaves are utilized as a remedy for a wide variety of conditions, ranging from alleviating oral pain, digestive maladies, hunger, altitude sickness, as well as muscular and skeletal aches,” says King. “Many commonly used neuropsychiatric medications have side effects such as personality changes or sedation. With centuries of use by Indigenous healers and traditional psychiatrists, plant-derived medicines offer potential new mechanisms of action for treating mental disorders while being potentially safer than the small molecule drugs that may have 'off target' effects."

Also a Madgalena advisor, member of the Scientific Strategy Team for Jaguar's Entheogen Therapeutics Initiative Wade Davis, Ph.D. said “there will be benefits at multiple levels for Andean nations and for patients around the world if coca leaf products become available to help manage a diversity of medical conditions." Davis is also an ethnobotanist, anthropologist and bestselling author.

On behalf of ENACO, the company’s technical director Silveria Dongo Gonzales and industrial commercialization director Richard Caballero stated that the team is thrilled with the partnership that facilitated “this landmark import."

Magdalena and Psilo Scientific stated they are seeking full Nagoya Protocol compliance in Peru (see earlier Nagoya-compliant iboga root import from Gabon.) The international agreement would ensure the sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic and indigenous knowledge in a fair and equitable manner.

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Photo by Hans Luiggi on Unsplash