How Psychedelic-Based Therapeutics Are Advancing in Treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Condition

FN Media Group News Commentary 

PALM BEACH, Fla., Jan. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The coming years could see a massive shift in the U.S. government's approach to regulating hallucinogenic drugs. Several biopharma companies are developing psychedelics-based treatments for various mental health conditions like Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). GAD is a prevalent mental health condition characterized by excessive and persistent worry, often extending beyond specific triggers. Individuals with GAD experience heightened levels of anxiety, anticipating future events and exhibiting physical symptoms such as muscle tension and restlessness. The disorder significantly impairs daily functioning and quality of life. A report from Delveinsight said that the total market size of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) treatment market is anticipated to experience growth during the forecast period (2032) due to the emergence of new and effective treatments, especially numerous trials developing new and innovative next-generation psychedelic treatment options. The report added: "The diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) involves a comprehensive assessment of an individual's mental health, considering the presence of excessive and uncontrollable worry across various aspects of life for a minimum of six months. Clinicians utilize standardized psychiatric interviews and validated screening tools to evaluate the severity of anxiety symptoms, along with a thorough exploration of associated physical and psychological manifestations. Differential diagnosis is crucial to rule out other psychiatric conditions, medical disorders, or substance-related issues that may mimic GAD symptoms. The diagnostic process also entails considering the impact of anxiety on daily functioning and its persistence in the absence of identifiable stressors. A multidimensional approach aids in ensuring an accurate diagnosis and facilitates the development of an effective treatment plan tailored to the individual's needs." Active Companies active today in markets include: Cybin Inc. (NYSE: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN), COMPASS Pathways plc (NASDAQ: CMPS), Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD) (NEO: MMED), Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL), atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATAI).

It continued: "DelveInsight's analyst projects that among the total diagnosed prevalent cases of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in 7MM approximately 53% of cases were from the US. As per our estimations, in 2022, the EU4 and the UK accounted for nearly 6,007,995 diagnosed prevalent cases of GAD. In the 7MM, the market mainly consisted of standard treatments like SSRIs/SNRIs, Benzodiazepines, Tricyclic Antidepressants/Azapirone (Buspirone), and others (Antiepileptics, antipsychotics, etc.) which generated nearly USD 1,500 million in 2022. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) market is projected to witness consistent growth throughout the forecast period (2023–2032). The market size of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in the 7MM is expected to increase, driven by better diagnosis and the launch of emerging therapies."

Cybin Inc. (NYSE AMERICAN: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) Announces FDA Clearance to Initiate a Phase 2a Study of CYB004 in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

- Recently announced positive Phase 1 topline safety, pharmacokinetic ("PK") and pharmacodynamic ("PD") data show that intravenous ("IV") CYB004 demonstrated robust and rapid-onset psychedelic effects at lower doses compared to native DMT -

- U.S. composition of matter patent granted with protection expected through 2041 -

- Company to initiate a randomized, double-blind, active controlled Phase 2a study in Q1 2024 -

Cybin Inc. ("Cybin" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to revolutionizing mental healthcare by developing new and innovative next-generation psychedelic treatment options, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") has cleared its investigational new drug ("IND") application for CYB004, its proprietary deuterated dimethyltryptamine ("DMT") molecule in development for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder ("GAD"). This clearance allows the Company to proceed with its plans to initiate a Phase 2a study of CYB004 in Q1 2024. The Phase 2a study will be a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled trial to assess the preliminary clinical efficacy, safety, tolerability, PK and PD of CYB004 in participants with GAD. This trial will be conducted at study sites in the United States.

"With the recent positive topline results from two Phase 1 studies of our proprietary deuterated DMT molecules, CYB004 and SPL028, we are well-positioned to initiate a Phase 2a study of CYB004 in GAD this quarter," said Doug Drysdale, Chief Executive Officer of Cybin. "From our extensive portfolio of DMT and deuterated DMT datasets across five completed clinical studies, we have gathered important insights on dosing and preliminary efficacy signals in both depression and anxiety that will inform our next steps. Exploratory data from our completed Phase 2a study of SPL026 (IV DMT) have shown that SPL026 reduced symptoms of anxiety in patients with major depressive disorder, which further serves to de-risk the development of deuterated DMT in anxiety disorders as we continue to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CYB004."

"Although anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mental health disorders, current treatment options remain limited, with suboptimal response and remission rates. We are committed to developing improved treatment options with the goal of improving the quality of life for people suffering from anxiety disorders worldwide. We look forward to exploring the potential of CYB004 to offer more convenient and patient-friendly dose forms and treatment duration," concluded Drysdale. CONTINUED… Read the full Press Release for Cybin at: https://www.cybin.com/news 

In other active company biotech news in the markets this week: 

atai Life Sciences (NASDAQ: ATAI), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders, recently announced a strategic investment in Beckley Psytech Limited ("Beckley Psytech"), a private clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to transforming short-duration psychedelics into effective and rapid-acting medicines for neuropsychiatric conditions.

This strategic investment and collaboration aims to accelerate the development of Beckley Psytech's two clinical-stage, patent-protected, short-duration psychedelic candidates, BPL-003 and ELE-101, by adding them to atai's mental health innovation platform. BPL-003 is a novel, short-duration, intranasal formulation of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT also known as Mebufotenin), and ELE-101 is a novel intravenous formulation of psilocin, the primary moiety of psilocybin. 

Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NASDAQ: MNMD) (NEO: MMED), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel product candidates to treat brain health disorders, recently provided a corporate update and outlook for 2024.

"Our strong progress in 2023 culminated in the delivery of statistically and clinically significant topline results for our lead program (MM-120) in our Phase 2b study of GAD. These positive results reinforce our scientific understanding of the mechanism of action for MM-120 and emphasize the critical role we believe the perceptual effects of MM-120 play in driving clinical outcomes," said Rob Barrow, Chief Executive Officer and Director of MindMed. "We are excited to enter 2024 with an enhanced focus on our lead program. In 2024, we plan to continue working diligently and efficiently to advance our MM-120 program into Phase 3, bringing us one step closer to potentially providing a new treatment option to the millions of patients suffering from GAD. We anticipate several key data milestones for our MM-120 program in 2024, including full 12-week results for MM-120 in GAD, results from our Phase 1 pharmacokinetics bridging study to support advancement of our MM-120 ODT formulation into pivotal clinical trials and additional results from our collaborator University Hospital Basel's one-year follow-up study of lysergide in anxiety disorders. We will be working closely with the FDA to finalize our Phase 3 development program for MM-120 in GAD and expect to hold our End-of-Phase 2 meeting with FDA in the first half of the year with initiation of our Phase 3 clinical program in the second half of the year." 

Seelos Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of therapies for central nervous system disorders and rare diseases, recently announced the receipt of minutes from its End of Phase II Meeting with the FDA.

In the meeting minutes, the FDA agreed that the primary endpoint in a Phase III trial could be the change from baseline in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score at Day 16, rather than the 24-hour timepoint that was selected in the Phase II SLS-002-201 study. The key secondary endpoint could be the change from baseline at 24 hours on the suicidality scale. This agreement with the FDA gives Seelos further confidence for its Phase III development of SLS-002 as data in the Phase II study showed clinically significant treatment differences from placebo on both the Day 16 MADRS (p-value: 0.012) and the 24-hour Sheehan- Suicidality Tracking Scale (S-STS) (p-value: 0.008).

"We are very excited about the potential that SLS-002 has to address the unmet need of acute suicidality. We are working to design one robust Phase III trial that has the potential to demonstrate a statistically persuasive effect utilizing agreed FDA endpoints," said Raj Mehra, Ph.D., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seelos. 

Compass Pathways plc (NASDAQ: CMPS), a biotechnology company dedicated to accelerating patient access to evidence-based innovation in mental health, and Hackensack Meridian Health ("HMH"), a leading not-for-profit health care organization and the largest, most comprehensive and truly integrated network in New Jersey, recently announced that that they have entered into a research collaboration agreement to inform the delivery model design of investigational COMP360 psilocybin treatment, if FDA-approved.

The collaboration between Compass and HMH aims to improve health outcomes and improve patient and provider experiences for mental health conditions such as treatment-resistant depression. Together they will work to understand the real-world challenges and opportunities of delivering care to those living with depression, to inform how future clinical trials of COMP360 psilocybin treatment are designed, and to understand how it will be delivered to patients, if approved. COMP360 is Compass's investigational proprietary formulation of synthetic psilocybin, administered in conjunction with psychological support.

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