UK-based Beckley Psytech and drug discovery company Lophora ApS will be researching New Clinical Entities (NCE’s) to bolster a pipeline of next-generation psychedelic medicines.
The aim of the R&D collaboration is to see NCEs taken through to Phase I clinical studies in a bid to help address the unmet need for treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Under the terms of the agreement, Beckley Psytech will jointly fund continuing development of the Lophora pipeline.
CEO of Beckley Psytech, Cosmo Feilding Mellen, commented: “The Lophora partnership represents a significant milestone for Beckley Psytech. It brings access to NCEs that we can take into Phase I studies in the near term, coupled with access to a drug discovery pipeline that we can shape together as our experience ever deepens in the psychedelic drug development space.
“Beckley Psytech has been working diligently to build a first-class drug development capability. This partnership is hugely exciting for us as we look to develop a portfolio of clinical assets that provide solutions to the devastating effect of psychiatric and neurological disorders.”
Denmark-based Lophora, which focuses its work on the central nervous system, was founded in 2018 by University of Copenhagen’s Medicinal Chemistry Professor, Jesper Kristensen. Specificaly, the company develops proprietary NCEs for treatment-resistant depression, and potential further indications including the treatment of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse.
CSO of Lophora, Jesper Langgaard Kristensen, commented: “Building on more than a decade’s worth of academic drug discovery, Lophora has unlocked the door to rational design of powerful new drugs to treat some of the most intractable CNS disorders, developing a countless array of new compounds that could serve as starting points for novel psychedelic medicines.
“Bringing together our vast portfolio of new proprietary ligands with Beckley Psytech’s clinical capabilities brings obvious synergies.
“We share Beckley Psytech’s vision of developing psychedelic compounds to address the significant unmet need in psychiatric and neurological disorders, and we look forward to enriching the pipeline with medicines that will make a difference.”
Lophora has previously secured grant funding from the BioInovation Institute (Novo Nordisk Foundation) and continues to characterise its lead candidates, aiming to initiate clinical trials in 2023.
[activecampaign form=52]
