Psychedelic developer Bright Minds Biosciences lists NASDAQ with hopes of fighting Dravet syndrome

Effective Today – Bright Minds Biosciences’ shares are traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “DRUG”. Bright Minds is already listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: DRUG) under the same symbol. Nasdaq Stock Market LLC approved the listing of the company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

Bright Minds’ team of drug designers created psychedelics to make them safer and more accessible to a larger patient population, often people who are deprived of an option in dealing with treatment-resistant diseases. The company has several patented drugs in its pipeline – mostly 5-HT2C and 5-HT2C + 5HT2A agonists – that are currently in late preclinical stages.

The particularly stubborn epileptic disease that is common in children, Dravet’s syndrome, is difficult to treat with conventional medication. Because of this, many patients resort to cannabis, which is itself a mild psychedelic, to combat it. Charlotte’s Web, for example, shares the name of the late Charlotte Figi, after whom the strain was named. Now scientists are also researching psychedelics to combat the condition, which so far show remarkable abilities.

The Company’s lead novel compound – BMB-101 – demonstrated efficacy in in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies in pediatric epilepsy, reducing seizure duration by 74 percent. The company plans to enter clinical trials with the active ingredient in early 2022.

Bright Mind Biosciences leadership is excited about the “psychedelic drug revolution” that is reinventing therapy as we know it. A renewed interest in the medical benefits of drugs like psilocybin, ketamine, MDMA and so on is everywhere.

“We do the drugs [of] the 60s great again! And to be honest, even better than it was then, thanks to modern science and the help to many patients along the way, ”Ian McDonald, CEO of Bright Mind Biosciences, told High Times.

Bright Minds has a portfolio of serotonin agonists designed to address the “neurocirculatory abnormalities” that are responsible for hard-to-treat disorders such as intractable epilepsy, treatment-resistant depression, PTSD and pain. The company is making connections with the goal of minimizing the side effects of first-generation psychedelics like psilocybin.

McDonald also admitted in a press release the dire situation that people with Dravet syndrome face. “Our listing on the Nasdaq is an important corporate milestone for Bright Minds as we advance our innovative drug candidates in pursuit of an improved generation of targeted serotonin-based therapies,” said McDonald. “With encouraging preclinical data on several indications, we are moving towards initial studies in humans with our lead drug candidate BMB-101 for the treatment of Dravet syndrome, a devastating congenital and genetic disorder of the nervous system. We assume that the studies will begin in the first half of 2022. “

Last August, the company announced that BMB-101 was effective in rodent models of Dravet syndrome. In addition, the effects of BMB compounds were consistent and comparable to other pharmaceutical anti-epileptic drugs such as fenfluramine.

BMB-101 is a selective and biased 5-HT2C agonist that shows compelling potential in the medical treatment of Dravet’s syndrome and / or other diseases.

BMB-101 works differently than cannabis in that neither THC nor other cannabinoids and terpenoids present in cannabis plant material have direct effects on receptors associated with psychedelics in similar classes.

Listing on the Nasdaq puts Bright Minds in a much more competitive position in an already contested psychedelic landscape.

“Bright Minds is also committed to generating significant returns for our shareholders,” continued McDonald. “Trading in the world’s most liquid market, in which all investors can participate, helps us to continue to achieve this goal. We look forward to continuing to work closely with all of our key players – science, medicine and the capital market – in order to strengthen our excellent competitive position. “