PsyBio Therapeutics is developing biosynthetic, “psycho-targeted” psychedelic compounds to treat neurological and mental health issues. It was founded in 2020. The firm’s team includes scientists, academics, and pharmaceutical executives and is headed by co-founder Evan Levine. As of October 2021, it possesses a portfolio of more than 80 molecules, excluding combination products also in development.
According to its website, the company uses “an efficient, patent-pending bacterial biosynthesis process for tryptamine production with platform technology utilizing metabolic engineering and optimization techniques.” These synthesis techniques, which employ genetically engineered E. coli bacteria, were developed through PsyBio’s partnership with Miami University of Ohio’s Dr. J. Andrew Jones (of the Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering Department); the lab of Dr. Matthew McMurray (of the Psychology Department) conducts animal efficacy studies of the biosynthesized compounds.
By August 2021, PsyBio’s IP portfolio encompassed more than eight pending patent applications. Applications filed in 2021 include:
- Methods for the Production of Psilocybin and its Intermediates or Side Products,
- Psilocybin and Norbaeocystin Compositions and Methods of Treatment,
- Methods for the Production of a Methylated Tryptamines and Intermediates or Side Products (including DMT) targeting mood disorders and addiction, and
- NMDA Receptor Antagonist-Containing Compositions and Methods of Treatment for neurological conditions such as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
According to Chief Financial Officer Noah Davis, PsyBio raised nearly three times its goal of $5 million upon going public in Spring 2021. In September 2021, the company filed its first pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA.
An archive of webinars, interviews, and updates can be accessed on PsyBio’s YouTube channel.