Biotechnology companies researching the therapeutic potential of various psychedelics are choosing to work with natural forms of these compounds derived from plant-based sources such as mushrooms and cacti over lab-created synthetic forms.
This is largely due to the hypothesis of the “entourage effect”: the theory that several compounds in these plants work together, for example, psilocybin and secondary metabolites in magic mushrooms, to enhance their effects.
While more research is needed around this so-called “entourage effect,” biotechnology companies also see other potential benefits from using plant-sourced psychedelic compounds in their research programs, such as intellectual property (IP) opportunities and consumer preference for natural products.
One company that has chosen to focus on natural psychedelics because of their various benefits is Vancouver-based Filament Health Corp (OTCQB:FLHLF, NEO:FH).
“While there is nothing inherently wrong with synthetic psilocybin and other substances, we know that there would be a number of advantages to doing things naturally, especially if we were the first to do things naturally,” the company’s CEO Ben Lightburn recently told Proactive.
“We knew if we were the first ones to develop pharmaceutical-grade naturally derived psychedelics, we would likely have the opportunity to claim a lot of valuable IP. The drugs that we manufacture do contain all the secondary metabolites from the raw psychedelics species, so that’s one thing that makes it very unique.”
Another Canadian company that is working with natural psychedelics is Toronto-based Neural Therapeutics Inc., which has secured a rare permit from the Peruvian government to harvest and study the mescaline-producing San Pedro cactus to better understand its potential medicinal applications.
“Those who chose to work only with synthetics are going to miss out on a lot,” Neural CEO Ian Campbell told Proactive in a recent interview.
He said by focusing on synthetic forms of mescaline “you’re more or less throwing out the baby with the bath water.”
“It’s not that there's anything wrong with the synthetic approach, but our science team believes that there are compounds in the San Pedro cactus besides mescaline that have therapeutic benefits themselves or that can strengthen the therapeutic outcome of the mescaline, the so-called entourage effect,” he said.
“We intend to research these broader benefits and believe that, in addition to mescaline-based pharmaceuticals, there is potential for nutraceutical wellness products from non-psychotropic compounds found in the San Pedro cactus.”
Contact the author at emily.jarvie@proactiveinvestors.com
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