Unmet Need
- Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders such as depression, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia represent a major and growing global health burden
- Psychedelic compounds have demonstrated strong therapeutic potential in psychiatric indications
- Most existing psychedelic agents are not patent protected and are associated with significant side effects
- Broad and non-selective pharmacological activity limits safety and clinical adoption
- There is a clear unmet need for novel, patentable drug candidates that retain therapeutic benefit while improving tolerability
Our Innovation
- Development of novel synthetic New Chemical Entities (NCEs) that are chemically distinct from known psychedelic compounds
- A dual-activity drug design strategy that integrates two complementary pharmacological effects within a single molecule
- Creation of two classes of compounds designed to balance therapeutic efficacy with improved safety profiles
- Rational medicinal chemistry approach focused on designing new molecules rather than modifying existing drugs
- Use of a high-throughput screening platform to rapidly identify and prioritize lead candidates
- In vivo evaluation of selected lead compounds in established animal models of depression
Advantages
- Novel and patentable chemical entities with freedom to operate
- Dual pharmacological activity designed to improve efficacy–tolerability balance
- Potential for reduced systemic and psychoactive side effects compared to existing approaches
- Applicability across multiple neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative indications
- Compatible with standard pharmaceutical development pipelines
- Supported by strong multidisciplinary academic expertise
Commercial Opportunity
We are seeking collaboration with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies developing CNS therapeutics to advance novel synthetic psychedelic-inspired drug candidates toward preclinical and clinical development.
Contact in Yissum: Ariela Markel
