A new psychedelics fund launches in the US

Leading U.S.-Based Psychedelic Healthcare VC Fund Launches with $35 Million Raised to Tackle the Growing Global Mental Health Crisis

Another $35 million was just invested into US psychedelics companies.

Palo Santo, a US venture capital investment fund, invested $35 million into psychedelic research, exceeding its $30 million goal. The portfolio consists of 20 early-stage psychedelic companies with high growth potential including Atai Life Sciences, Reset Pharma, Field Trip Health, Tactogen, Eleusis, Bexson Biomedical, and more. Palo Santo’s team of investors will actively support each company in the portfolio by connecting founders, advisers, and industry leaders through their vast network in the healthcare space.

 

atai Life Sciences Announces Pricing of Upsized Initial Public Offering

BERLIN, June 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — atai Life Sciences B.V. (Nasdaq: ATAI) (“atai”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders, today announced the pricing of its upsized initial public offering in the United States of 15,000,000 common shares at a price to the public of $15.00 per share. All common shares are being offered by atai. The gross proceeds of the offering, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by atai, are expected to be $225.0 million. In addition, atai has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,250,000 common shares at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The offering is expected to close on June 22, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions.

atai’s common shares are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Market on June 18, 2021 under the ticker symbol “ATAI.”

Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Cowen, and Berenberg are acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering. Cantor, RBC Capital Markets and Canaccord Genuity are also acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering.

This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting: Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, or by telephone at (800) 221-1037 or by email at usa.prospectus@credit-suisse.com; Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (800) 831-9146 or by email at prospectus@citi.com; Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by telephone at (833) 297-2926, or by email at PostSaleManualRequests@broadridge.com; or, Berenberg Capital Markets LLC, Attention: Investment Banking, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 53rd Floor, New York, New York 10020, or by telephone at +1 (646) 949-9000, or by e-mail at prospectusrequests@berenberg-us.com.

A registration statement relating to the securities being sold in the offering has been declared effective by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on June 17, 2021. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

About atai Life Sciences
atai is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders. atai was founded in 2018 as a response to the significant unmet need and lack of innovation in the mental health treatment landscape, as well as the emergence of therapies that previously may have been overlooked or underused, including psychedelic compounds and digital therapeutics. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York and London.

Investor Contact:
Greg Weaver
atai – Chief Financial Officer
Email: greg.weaver@atai.life

Media Contact:
Anne Donohoe
KCSA Strategic Communications
Phone: +1 (212) 896-1265
Email: atai@KCSA.com

 

Two new companies join psychedelic ETF

Optimi Health Joins First Psychedelic Exchange Traded Fund

PSYK, the world’s first psychedelic ETF that launched in January 2020, was rebalanced for the quarter based on respective float market capitalization. Optimi Health (OPTI) and Atai Life Sciences (ATAI) were added to the fund at 1.9% and 5.0% respectively, and Cybin (CYBN) accounts for the largest stake at 15.9%. The chart below shows the distribution of the ETF’s 24 holdings as of July 9.

Atai gains celebrity support

Liam Payne becomes the latest star to invest in a depression treatment made from psychedelic drugs

Since debuting on the NASDAQ last month, Atai Life Sciences (ATAI) has gained support from some celebrity investors. Steve Bartlett, the youngest venture capitalist on Dragon’s Den, became Atai’s creative director, claiming that it is the most important company he has ever invested in. Bartlett believes that “if any company is to effectively tackle the global mental health crisis, it is $Atai.” He recently convinced One Director star Liam Payne to invest in the company, joining the American DJ Diplo.

atai Life Sciences to Present at the Cowen Psychedelics & Novel Mechanisms in Neuropsychiatry Summit

BERLIN, Germany, July 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — atai Life Sciences N.V. (Nasdaq: ATAI) (“atai”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing psychedelic and non-psychedelic compounds for various mental health indications, today announced that it will present and participate in one-on-one investor meetings at the Cowen Psychedelics & Novel Mechanisms in Neuropsychiatry Summit on July 13, 2021.

Presentation details can be found below.

Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Time: 10:50 AM ET
Webcast link: https://wsw.com/webcast/cowen86/atai/1936406

A replay of the presentation will be available in the “Events” section of the atai Life Sciences website at ir.atai.life.

About atai Life Sciences
atai is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders. atai was founded in 2018 as a response to the significant unmet need and lack of innovation in the mental health treatment landscape. atai is dedicated to acquiring, incubating and efficiently developing innovative therapeutics to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders. atai’s business model combines funding, technology, scientific and regulatory expertise with a focus on psychedelic therapy and other drugs with differentiated safety profiles and therapeutic potential. By pooling resources and best practices, atai aims to responsibly accelerate the development of new medicines across its companies, seeking to effectively treat and ultimately heal mental health disorders. atai’s mission is to bridge the gap between what the mental healthcare system currently provides and what patients need. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York. For more information, please visit www.atai.life.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements regarding atai’s participation in upcoming conferences and presentations and similar statements of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in atai’s prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on June 21, 2021, as such factors may be updated from time to time in atai’s other filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and accordingly undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. atai disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

Investor Contact:
Greg Weaver
atai – Chief Financial Officer
Email: greg.weaver@atai.life

Media Contact:
Anne Donohoe
KCSA Strategic Communications
Phone: +1 (212) 896-1265
Email: atai@KCSA.com

Atai Life Sciences (ATAI) lists on NASDAQ, becomes third psilocybin company to list on major US stock exchange

atai Life Sciences Announces Pricing of Upsized Initial Public Offering

Atai Life Sciences (ATAI), a German biopharmaceutical company studying psilocybin treatment, began trading on the NASDAQ at $15 per share. Gross proceeds are expected to be $225 million. ATAI is the third psilocybin-focused company to go public on a major US stock exchange, following MindMed and Compass Pathways.

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atai Life Sciences Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering

BERLIN, June 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — atai Life Sciences N.V. (“atai”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders, today announced the commencement of a proposed underwritten initial public offering of 14,286,000 of its common shares. All common shares to be sold in the proposed offering will be sold by atai. The underwriters of the offering will have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,142,900 common shares at the initial public offering price, less the underwriting discounts and commissions. The initial public offering price is expected to be between $13.00 and $15.00 per common share. atai has applied to list its common shares on the Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “ATAI.”

Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Cowen, and Berenberg are acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering. Cantor, RBC Capital Markets and Canaccord Genuity are also acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering.

The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the preliminary prospectus relating to this offering, when available, may be obtained by contacting Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, NC 27560, or by telephone at (800) 221-1037 or by email at usa.prospectus@credit-suisse.com; Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (800) 831-9146 or by email at prospectus@citi.com; Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by telephone at (833) 297-2926, or by email at PostSaleManualRequests@broadridge.com; or, Berenberg Capital Markets LLC, Attention: Investment Banking, 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 53rd Floor, New York, New York 10020, or by telephone at +1 (646) 949-9000, or by e-mail at prospectusrequests@berenberg-us.com.

A registration statement on Form S-1 relating to these securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy these securities be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction.

About atai Life Sciences
atai is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders. atai was founded in 2018 as a response to the significant unmet need and lack of innovation in the mental health treatment landscape, as well as the emergence of therapies that previously may have been overlooked or underused, including psychedelic compounds and digital therapeutics. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York and London.

 

Investor Contact: Greg Weaver atai – Chief Financial Officer Email: greg.weaver@atai.life Media Contact: Anne Donohoe KCSA Strategic Communications Phone: +1 (212) 896-1265 Email: atai@KCSA.com

Benzinga – Psyched: Entheon Launches Psychedelics Genetic Test, Mydecine Unveils Psychedelic Drug Candidates, California Bill Passes Senate Committee

Entheon Biomedical Corp. announced the launch of a psychedelics genetic test kit last week through its wholly owned subsidiary HaluGen Life Sciences Inc.

The launch represents the first revenue stream for the company, said CEO Timothy Ko.

The test will serve as a pre-screening platform for patients looking into psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy, offering “genetic, personal and familial insights” to improve patient care and reduce possible risks associated with the therapy.

Clients receive a simple test kit in their home, do a cheek swab and return the kit to the company, which conducts a PCR genetic analysis at its Toronto testing facility.


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The company said the test is now available for sale in Canada, and expects to offer availability in the U.S. in coming months.

Mydecine Unveils 4 Psychedelic Drug Candidates

Mydecine Innovations Group (Pink: MYCOFannounced its four lead novel drug candidates Wednesday.

The company plans to present the candidates at Pre-Investigational New Drug meetings with the FDA and Health Canada, a necessary step in obtaining approval for drug development and clinical trials.

The candidates are:

  • MYCO – 001: a form of pure psilocybin derived from natural fungal sources, targeted to be used at mid-to-late-stage clinical trials.
  • MYCO – 002: an empathogen with similar effects to MDMA that could have an improved safety profile.
  • MYCO – 003: a psilocybin-based formula that could diminish the possibility of bad experiences by reducing patient anxiety.
  • MYCO – 004: a hallucinogen delivered transdermally, offering precision dosing and long-term compound stability.
  • The claims presented for these compounds need to be proven in clinical trials and via further research.

“By increasing the complexity of these compounds, we are increasing layers of patents applied, which in turn, also adds pharmaceutical value to the drug candidates,” said Joshua Bartch, co-founder and CEO of Mydecine.

California Psychedelics Decriminalization Bill Passes Senate Committee

A bill to decriminalize psychedelic substances in California, introduced in February by Sen. Scott Wiener, was approved by the Senate Public Safety Committee of the California legislature.

The legislation would remove penalties for the possession and use of psilocybin, LSD and DMT, MDMA, ketamine, mescaline and ibogaine, among others. It would also expunge the criminal records of people charged with crimes related to use and possession of these compounds.

The bill will now head to the Senate Health Committee, Marijuana Moment reported.

Atai Buys Majority In Psyber Brain-Computer Interface

Atai Life Sciences announced on Wednesday it has acquired a majority stake in Psyber, a company working with brain-computer interface digital therapeutics.

Brain-computer interface is a type of technology that allows a direct interaction between the human brain and a piece of software. Psyber, a Delaware-based company, works with EEG to provide this technology.

“Traditionally, the main goal of BCI has been to replace or restore useful functions to people disabled by neuromuscular disorders,” Atai said in a press release.

The company intends to use the technology in the treatment of mental health disorders, using Psyber’s interface in combination with compounds in Atai’s portfolio.

The interface would allow patients to receive a more clear interpretation of their emotional experience from a look at their own neural activity.

The company said it plans to use Psyber’s technology to enhance pharmacological treatment by “offering personalized and novel digitally enhanced, behaviour-changing experiences that complement [patients’] medication assisted therapy.”

The Milestone Round

Core One Labs Inc. (OTC:CLABF) completed the acquisition of Ketamine Infusions Centers of Texas Inc., a clinic providing ketamine therapy. The company plans to leverage the site to develop its psychedelic treatment platform that would deploy psilocybin once it becomes legal.

Core One Labs applied to list its shares on the Nasdaq last month.

Mind Cure Health Inc. (OTCQB:MCURF) filed a provisional patent with the USPTO for its proprietary digital therapeutics tool iSTRYM.

The platform, targeted for both therapists and patients, uses data and patient feedback to improve diagnosis and treatment.

“We intend to build iSTRYM into the world’s largest data repository of psychedelic experiences, backed by science and built on trust,” said Kelsey Ramsden, president and CEO of Mind Cure.

atai Life Sciences acquires majority stake in Psyber, Inc., to develop Brain Computer Interface-enabled digital therapeutics targeting mental health disorders

NEW YORK, April 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — atai Life Sciences (“atai” or the “Company”), a global biopharmaceutical company developing psychedelic and non-psychedelic compounds for various mental health indications, has acquired a majority stake in Delaware based Psyber, a company dedicated to developing interventions to improve various mental health disorders and induce behavioural changes through brain computer interface (BCI)-enabled digital therapeutics (DTx).

EEG-based BCI devices record electrical activity in the brain for real-time interpretation of emotional, behavioural, and mental states. Traditionally, the main goal of BCI has been to replace or restore useful functions to people disabled by neuromuscular disorders. However, recent studies have shown that the technology may have useful applications for mental health disorders as it allows for a direct decoding of emotional experience from neural activity.

In the case of Psyber, EEG-based BCI development will be enabled through a tailored software platform and a large patent portfolio, combined with atai’s diverse compounds.

“At atai, we firmly believe that giving power back to the patient could lead to improved health outcomes,” said David Keene, Digital Therapeutics Lead of atai. “This novel technology is designed to do exactly that, combining both medicine and BCI-assisted therapy puts the patient firmly in the driving seat as it tailors to the individual’s specific needs.”

Psyber’s aim is to empower patients prescribed medication to achieve better mental health outcomes by offering personalized and novel digitally enhanced, behaviour-changing experiences that complement their medication assisted therapy. The objective is better outcomes, a better experience and better personalized behaviour change training than existing medication or behavioral therapy solutions currently offer.

“BCI as a technology has the potential to change the world as we know it,” said Prahlad Krishnan, CEO of Psyber. “In the context of mental health, this is no exception as every patient enrolled in BCI-assisted therapy will have greater autonomy, ever more empowered to change their feelings and behaviors to improve their quality of life.”

About atai Life Sciences

atai is a biopharmaceutical company founded in 2018 in response to the clear and growing unmet needs of mental health patients worldwide. atai is dedicated to acquiring, incubating and efficiently developing innovative therapeutics to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders. atai’s business model combines funding, technology, scientific and regulatory expertise with a focus on psychedelic therapy and other drugs with differentiated safety profiles and therapeutic potential. By pooling resources and best practices, atai aims to responsibly accelerate the development of new medicines across its business entities, seeking to effectively treat and ultimately heal mental health disorders. atai’s vision is to bridge the gap between what the mental healthcare system currently provides and what patients need. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York, San Diego and London. For more information, please visit www.atai.life.

Investor Contact:
Greg Weaver
atai – Chief Financial Officer
Email: greg.weaver@atai.life

Media Contact:
Anne Donohoe
KCSA Strategic Communications
Phone: +1 (212) 896-1265
Email: atai@KCSA.com

SOURCE ATAI Life Sciences

Related Links

https://www.atai.life/

Recognify Life Sciences to Commence Phase 2a Study in Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia

NEW YORK, April 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Recognify Life Sciences, Inc. (Recognify), an atai Life Sciences (atai) platform company focused on developing treatments for cognitive impairment with initial efforts targeting Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia (CIAS), today announced it has initiated a Phase 2a study for its lead compound RL-007, after receiving IND clearance from the Food and Drug Administration to commence clinical trials in the United States in this indication.

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder primarily characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and disordered thinking. This condition effects over 21 million people globally and approximately 2.4 million people in the United States, with around 300,000 new cases being diagnosed each year in the US. Cognitive deficits are frequently present in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, and such deficits contribute to the marked disability associated with this condition. There are presently no effective treatment options for CIAS.

The Phase 2a study is a single-arm, multiple dose design in patients who exhibit CIAS, and it evaluates the effects of the drug on safety and tolerability, electroencephalograms and cognition. This study will provide the first data sets for RL-007 in CIAS patients and enable Recognify to progress the product towards a Phase 2b efficacy study in this area of high medical need.

“In a treatment landscape with no effective options, we are determined to progress RL-007 for the treatment of CIAS.  We believe that the compound has great potential in CIAS, based upon the promising pro-cognitive profile demonstrated in previous preclinical and clinical studies,” said Florian Brand, CEO and co-founder of atai.

“RL-007 is a unique asset that we believe has the potential to bring significant benefit to CIAS patients. We are focused on rapidly executing a series of high-quality studies to understand the utility of the compound in CIAS and clearly demonstrate the cognitive enhancing effects in these patients,” said Matt Pando, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Recognify. “This study is the first step towards bringing an effective treatment option to CIAS patients.”

About Recognify Life Sciences, Inc.
Recognify Life Sciences is a biotech company leveraging a Phase 2 ready asset to treat Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia (CIAS). Recognify’s mission is to provide pro-cognitive treatments solutions to mental health disorders, with a primary focus on schizophrenia. The company operates as part of the atai Life Sciences platform.

About atai Life Sciences
atai is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders. atai was founded in 2018 as a response to the significant unmet need and lack of innovation in the mental health treatment landscape. atai is dedicated to acquiring, incubating and efficiently developing innovative therapeutics to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders. atai’s business model combines funding, technology, scientific and regulatory expertise with a focus on psychedelic therapy and other drugs with differentiated safety profiles and therapeutic potential. By pooling resources and best practices, atai aims to responsibly accelerate the development of new medicines across its companies, seeking to effectively treat and ultimately heal mental health disorders. atai’s mission is to bridge the gap between what the mental healthcare system currently provides and what patients need. atai is headquartered in Berlin, with offices in New York. For more information, please visit www.atai.life.

Investor Contact:
Greg Weaver
atai – Chief Financial Officer
Email: greg.weaver@atai.life

Media Contact:
Anne Donohoe
KCSA Strategic Communications
Phone: +1 (212) 896-1265
Email: atai@KCSA.com

SOURCE atai Life Sciences