Mental Health is a Global Crisis
The prevalence of mental health disorders is increasing rapidly, and there are significant unmet needs in this area. The estimated prevalence of PTSD globally is 308 million people, with an associated economic burden of $2.5 trillion.
The current approach to mental health care is insufficient to address this growing problem. Most patients do not respond to the first drug prescribed, which leads to prolonged suffering and imposes significant medical, societal, and economic costs. Conditions like PTSD have few approved medications, leaving patients with limited treatment options.
Missing the Mark
Emerging research indicates PTSD patients exhibit a variety of imbalanced physical markers which current drug treatments do not effectively treat. Additionally, many drug development efforts fail to recognize or accommodate for the enormous cost and access issues inherent in large doses of psychedelics. There is a significant unmet need for better treatment options for mental health disorders. To address this issue, it is critical to develop innovative new therapies that can account for individual variability and improve outcomes for patients.
Markers of PTSD
Antidepressants as the current standard of care for PTSD result in only a 20% to 30% remission rate as they are designed to merely block reabsorption of serotonin into neurons
Compromised Dopaminergic Neurons
leading to aggressive outbursts, poor impulse control, or demotivation
Increased Inflammation Levels
limiting immune response and causing depressive symptoms
Dysregulated Serotonergic System
causing anxiety, depression, or lack of emotion
Compromised Dopaminergic Neurons
producing nervous system impariments
Lead Drug Candidate: GCAP001
Combining Eugenol and Psilocybin
Designing drug products whose active pharmaceutical ingredients provide additive therapeutic effects while targeting multiple clinically important biological pathways
Drug Safety
Utilizing molecules with established and attractive safety profiles
Patient Access
Developing treatments with benefits over classic psychedelic therapies, including:
- Avoiding the need for professional oversight during the dosing event
- Avoidance of patient intoxication
- Limiting adverse events
Publications & IP
Abstract
Acute and chronic inflammation of the body triggers the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory pathways that can affect the content of cytokines in the brain and thus cause brain inflammation. Disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often associated with elevated inflammation. Recently, positive and promising clinical results of psilocybin for the treatment of depression and PTSD were reported. Thus, we decided to test whether psilocybin alone or in combination with eugenol, an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, would prevent the increase in or decrease the content of cytokines in the brain…
This demonstrates the anti-inflammatory effects of a combination of psilocybin and eugenol in the brain of animals with systemically induced inflammation.
Published in:
The leading international, peer-reviewed, open access journal of chemistry.
Molecules, March 2023, 28(6), 2624;
Patent Application
“Compositions for Reducing Inflammation to Improve or Maintain Mental or Physical Health”
Claims capture both composition of matter and methods of use
Captures classes of molecules (TRP receptor agonists and 5HT2a receptor agonists) in various combinations including those in GCAP001
Provides wide range of pipeline opportunities via formulation modifications to target additional inflammation-based disease states including mood disorders, pain, digestive problems, substance abuse and cancer
Priority Date: October 11, 2020
