SHAMAN PRODUCTS POISED TO PREVENT MULTIPLE FORMS OF CANCER.

Shaman Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCBB:SHPH), San Francisco, has announced that its standardized botanical extract, SP49400, which is being formulated into the Syn X Bar and other Shaman products, is poised to help prevent not just colorectal cancer, but multiple forms of other cancers by lowering insulin levels through weight loss.

Pre-clinical studies have shown SP49400 to be an effective treatment to help obese mice lose weight. There is also an expanding body of evidence showing that multiple forms of cancer, including breast cancer, kidney cancer and colorectal cancer, among a potential list of others, are diseases that are associated with obesity and the high insulin levels of Syndrome X. The new evidence points to treating Syndrome X as a way to reduce risk of these kinds of cancers.

We have known for some time that obesity increases the risk of cancer. We know that obesity worsens insulin resistance and produces high insulin levels. We know that half of all individuals with high insulin levels have high blood pressure. We know that high insulin levels lead to heart attack and polycystic ovary syndrome. We also know that Syndrome X, when the pancreas is exhausted from secreting extra insulin, develops into type 2 diabetes. Now multiple studies indicate that there may be a direct link between obesity, high insulin levels and cancer. The studies also show that high insulin levels may speed up the progression of cancer.

Rudolf Kaaks, Ph.D. and colleagues of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France, in an article published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Vol. 92, No. 19, October 4, 2000), presented strong evidence linking colorectal cancer with high insulin levels. In this study of 14,275 subjects, Kaaks and associates, using C-peptide as a marker to measure insulin secretion, showed that the higher the baseline C-peptide, the greater was the increase in risk of colorectal cancer in individuals with the highest insulin levels.

Dr. P.J. Goodwin and colleagues of the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mound Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, completed a study examining the connection between obesity, high insulin levels and breast cancer. The study, published in ASCO, Volume 19 2000, concluded that high insulin levels and obesity predicted breast cancer and risk of survival.

Wong-Ho Chow, Ph.D. and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute, have completed a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 343, Number 18. The study followed 363,992 Swedish men until death or the end of 1995. The men with kidney cancer were identified and the link between obesity, hypertension and risk of kidney cancer was studied. The results showed that the heavier individuals were, the greater their chances of developing kidney cancer. The study also indicated that high blood pressure, common to Syndrome X, predicted increased risk of kidney cancer. Reduction in blood pressure lowered the risk.

"A convincing body of evidence is being built," said Gerald Reaven, M.D., Professor Active Emeritus at Stanford University and Shaman Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs, "that shows that efforts to maintain insulin sensitivity and low insulin levels might well be helpful in lowering risk of certain kinds of cancer. No intervention studies have been done yet to show that lowering insulin levels reduces the threat of cancer. However, until those results are available it seems sensible to keep our insulin levels as low as possible."

Syndrome X was first described in 1988 by Dr. Reaven, author of Syndrome X, The Silent Killer That Can Give You A Heart Attack, (Simon & Schuster). Shaman has developed its new Syn X Bar which is the company's first Syndrome X product on the market, in a line of dietary supplements originally formulated to mitigate the major risk factors for coronary heart disease and other disease manifestations. The Syn X Bar contains the careful balance of 15% protein, 40% fat (mostly monounsaturated), and 45% carbohydrate. This ratio has been clinically proven to help maintain healthy insulin levels. Dr. Reaven's diet also helps people maintain healthy LDL cholesterol, a risk factor for coronary heart disease that is not associates with Syndrome X.

SP49400, which will be incorporated into the Syn X Bar and other products, comes from a West African tree. Traditional healers have used the stembark of this safe and natural product to treat a variety of disorders including obesity, fatigue, and type 2 diabetes. It is free of phenylpropanoline (PPA) which the Food and Drug Administration has announced it would seek to remove from the market. SP49400 is also free of any form of ephedrine or caffeine and in pre-clinical studies has demonstrated statistically significant weight loss with no change in level of food consumption.

Shaman has retained Roth Capital Inc., an investment bank that focuses on emerging growth and middle market companies, to provide a broad range of corporate finance, research, syndicate sales and trading services to assist Shaman in exploring strategic business opportunities to drive shareholder value. One of the assets Roth Capital will work with, among many others, is the Syn X line of products for lowering triglyceride levels, weight loss and promoting general cardiovascular health.

For more information about Syndrome X, what it is and who has it, visit http://www.syndromexweb.com.

Shaman Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a leader in medicinal plant research and commercialization of proprietary dietary supplements. Shaman works collaboratively with indigenous communities to discover, harvest and reforest medicinal plants. The company also provides cultural educational programs in conjunction with rainforest communities.

For more information, call 650/952-7070, ext. 466.