UK-based Compass Pathways are one of the most prolific players in the emergent psilocybin space, actively conducting clinical trials to demonstrate the safety of psilocybin, and its potential to tackle treatment-resistant depression.

Compass IPO’d on Friday 18th September, 2020, on the Nasdaq.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awarded a “Breakthrough Therapy” designation to Compass for their research into the use of psilocybin for severe depression. This allows the Company to accelerate the (usually very slow) development and review of their drugs. Typically, such a designation is only approved where early evidence suggests the drug in question could pose a significant improvement versus currently-available therapy.

Compass has conducted, and is conducting, a range of registered clinical trials across the world. In the United Kingdom, the Company has worked with the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London to successfully conduct a double-blind, placebo-controlled study with nearly ninety participants between 18-65 years of age. The study found that psilocybin was well-tolerated by the healthy adult volunteers.