Shaman Witnessing Doubling in Sales for Antidiarrheal Products.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Sept. 19, 2000

Shaman Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB:SHPH.OB) today announced that direct sales of the Company's antidiarrheal products, Normal Stool Formula (NSF) and NSF-IB, have increased 111% over last quarter, closely mirroring heightened actrivity on the Irritable Bowel Syndrome Self Help Group website and bulletin board at www.ibsgroup.org.

The Irritable Bowel Syndrome Self Help Group announced in a September 12th press release that its monthly page views have increased 105% over the period April 1 through August 31, 2000, as established by reports from WebTrends(R). Hits for the whole site have increased 127% monthly for the same period. The IBS Self Help Group is the premier IBS site on the Internet, with more than 200,000 Bulletin Board member postings, and the largest provider of information for sufferers of IBS.

In tandem with these events, the Public Citizen consumer interest group, in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration dated August 31, 2000, requested that alosetron, a drug used to treat irritable bowel syndrome, be removed from the market because of safety concerns.

"NSF is a natural dietary supplement for treating recurrent diarrhea," said Lisa Conte, Shaman President and CEO, "safely used for thousands of years by traditional peoples in rainforest areas. Rigorous clinical studies have also confirmed its safety and efficacy for extended use."

NSF contains a standardized extract from the sap of the Croton lechleri tree of the rainforest. Based on its mechanism of action, NSF is safe and effective for control of diarrhea without interacting with other medications or causing constipation. Consumers have reported using NSF-IB safely for more than 12 consecutive months at a time. A yearlong study performed at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of the NSF extract. Published results showed that even in subjects who continued daily use for over 10 months, no serious adverse events or significant laboratory changes were attributable to the product.

For more information about the product visit , or call 1-800-987-9920.

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.

This press release contains, among other things, certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to Shaman's ability to advance its development and research programs. Such statements involve a number of risk and uncertainties including the Risk Factors listed in the Shaman Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10K and 10K/A for the year ended December 31, 1999. These filings are available upon request at 650/952-7070. Also visit Shaman at http://www.Shaman.com.