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Podcast: Cybin CEO: Big Pharma Can No Longer Sit On The Sidelines In Psychedelics

 
• By Ayisha Sharma

Podcast: Doug Drysdale, CEO of Cybin, tells Scrip about the controversial history of psychedelics and their potential role in addressing mental health disorders. The CEO also weighs in on consolidation in the psychedelic sector, which is currently dominated by biotech, and claims big pharma can no longer sit on the sidelines.

Scrip Podcast Special
• Source: Alamy

It has been a busy time for psychedelic-based therapies. COMPASS Pathways revealed plans earlier this month to expand investigation of COMP360 to autistic adults, marking the first mechanistic study of the hallucinogen psilocybin in this population. Mind Medicine, Inc. announced promising efficacy data from a Phase II trial of LSD in anxiety disorders around the same time. Meanwhile, Cybin Inc. engaged a CRO for a Phase I/II study of its lead candidate, CYB003, which is penned to start in the middle of the year. (Also see "Cybin Uses Psychedelic Mushroom Derivative To Tackle Depression With Improved Safety" - Scrip, 24 November, 2021.)

These milestones mark a big shift from how psychedelic compounds were viewed half a century ago, according to Cybin CEO Doug Drysdale. While they are by no means a panacea for psychiatric disorders, the psychedelic sector has attracted investor interest as companies reach clinical validation. (Also see "COMPASS Psilocybin Depression Data Excite Despite Safety Issues" - Scrip, 10 November, 2021

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