MindMed Signs Partnership with Swiss Psychedelic Drug Discovery Startup MindShift Compounds AG, Expands Development Pipeline and IP Portfolio with Next-Gen Psychedelic and Empathogenic Compounds
ZUG, Switzerland, Feb. 11, 2021 /CNW/ -- MindMed (NEO: MMED) (OTCQB: MMEDF) (DE: MMQ), a leading psychedelic medicine biotech company announced a new partnership with Swiss startup MindShift Compounds AG to develop and patent next-gen psychedelic compounds with psychedelic or empathogenic properties.
As part of this partnership, MindMed and MindShift Compounds AG have agreed to develop next-gen psychedelic and empathogenic substances together. The first initial compounds have already been synthesized by MindShift Compounds AG and related patent applications were filed by MindMed. MindMed plans to begin first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trials as early as Q1 2022 through its existing clinical trial platform for psychedelic and empathogenic compounds in Switzerland.
The partnership on these initial targets will expand MindMed's current, well-established clinical pipeline with additional backup and expansion compounds with similar and potentially improved therapeutic properties. The related synthesis intellectual property and pharmaceutical technology will be owned outright by MindMed, and MindShift Compounds AG will provide all intellectual property related to the new psychedelic compounds exclusively to MindMed.
This partnership adds to MindMed's existing IP portfolio development efforts underway in collaboration with the University Hospital Basel's Liechti Lab for classic psychedelic compounds including LSD, MDMA, Psilocybin, MDMA-LSD combinations, personalized dosing technologies and an LSD Neutralizer technology, which are based on multiple clinical trials and years of research conducted by the Liechti Lab.
MindMed plans to work with the experienced drug discovery team at MindShift Compounds AG to further broadly cover preclinical psychedelics research into novel compounds and expects to continue to file a substantial number of patents on a large number of novel substance matters, production innovations, and later clinical applications, allowing MindMed to further consolidate its leading position in the overall psychedelic-medicine market as it moves these next-gen compounds into the clinic through advanced patient clinical trials.
MindShift CEO, Dr. Felix Lustenberger, said "Our innovative psychedelic drug-discovery platform based in Switzerland is pioneering next-gen psychedelic compounds that complement in a synergistic pipeline approach the later-stage development work underway at MindMed. The compounds we are working on are typically derivatives or analogues of known substances with psychedelic properties, such as phenethylamines, tryptamines, and ergolines, and are therefore enhanced versions of both the established and classic psychedelic compounds such as mescaline, psilocybin, DMT, and LSD, as well as compounds with expected combined psychedelic-empathogenic effect profiles. These novel chemical structures, for example MDMA and LSD-like compounds, are designed and synthesized with expected ameliorated psychoactive properties and duration-of-effect profiles with potential added therapeutic benefits."
MindMed President and Head of Clinical Development, Dr. Miri Halperin Wernli, said "While first-generation psychedelic molecules, such as psilocybin and LSD, provide an obvious starting point for novel therapies such as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, there are clinical limitations to these compounds linked, for example, to the onset of action and to the duration of effect - and this can cause concern for clinicians. Through the application of innovative medicinal chemistry and cutting-edge laboratory and computational technologies we will expand the development of new, pure and well-characterized active ingredients for next-gen pharmaceutical psychedelic drug products. We are developing a pipeline of novel, patentable psychedelic drug candidates that are specifically engineered to improve on first generation psychedelic compounds, targeting predictable pharmacokinetics and shorter half-life that will result in better efficacy and reduced toxicity. We expect that synthesizing these next-gen psychedelic derivatives will be very useful to create predictable, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients, and will bear less regulatory risk in the overall mental healthcare system than working with natural compounds."
About MindMed
MindMed is a psychedelic medicine biotech company that discovers, develops and deploys psychedelic-inspired medicines and therapies to address addiction and mental illness. The company is assembling a compelling drug development pipeline of innovative treatments based on psychedelic substances including psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, DMT and an Ibogaine derivative, 18-MC. The MindMed executive team brings extensive biopharmaceutical experience to the company's groundbreaking approach to developing the next generation of psychedelic-inspired medicines and therapies.
MindMed trades on the Canadian exchange NEO under the symbol MMED. MindMed is also traded in the United States under the symbol MMEDF and in Germany under the symbol MMQ. For more information: www.mindmed.co
MindMed Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and performance of Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. ("MindMed"), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, MindMed's and its collaborators' ability to continue to conduct research and clinical programs, MindMed's ability to manage its supply chain, product sales of products marketed by MindMed and/or its collaborators (collectively, "Products"), and the global economy; the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of Products and Product candidates and research and clinical programs now underway or planned; the likelihood, timing, and scope of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Product candidates and new indications for Products; unforeseen safety issues resulting from the administration of Products and Product candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of MindMed's Products and product candidates in clinical trials; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict MindMed's ability to continue to develop or commercialize Products; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; uncertainty of market acceptance and commercial success of Products and Product candidates and the impact of studies on the commercial success of Products and Product candidates; the availability and extent of reimbursement of Products from third-party payers, including private payer healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to Products and Product candidates; the extent to which the results from the research and development programs conducted by MindMed or its collaborators may be replicated in other studies and lead to therapeutic applications; the ability of MindMed to manufacture and manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates; the ability of MindMed's collaborators, suppliers, or other third parties (as applicable) to perform manufacturing, filling, finishing, packaging, labelling, distribution, and other steps related to MindMed's Products and product candidates; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of MindMed to meet any of its financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license or collaboration agreement to be cancelled or terminated without any further product success; and risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto, other litigation and other proceedings and government investigations relating to MindMed and its operations, the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings and investigations, and the impact any of the foregoing may have on MindMed's business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management's current beliefs and judgment. MindMed does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement.
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SOURCE Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc.
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