BetterLife Pharma Inc (CSE:BETR) (OTCQB:BETRF) (FRA:NPAU) said it has signed an agreement with the laboratory of Dr Adam L. Halberstadt at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) for TD-0148A preclinical behavioral pharmacology studies.
TD-0148A is a second-generation lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) derivative that the company believes will mimic the therapeutic potential of LSD without producing hallucinogenic effects or other psychoactive side-effects.
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As part of the research agreement, BetterLife said it will work with Halberstadt’s team to test TD-0148A in various preclinical models that are established in their lab and use their expertise in understanding how psychedelics and related compounds interact with the serotonergic system and how those molecules could be developed to treat psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
"We are excited to have the opportunity to examine TD-0148A in our established preclinical models. Given the high rate of resistance to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and other first-line treatments for major depressive disorder, there is an urgent need for new anti-depressant medications. LSD and other psychedelic drugs have been shown to have anti-depressant effects, but some patients will not tolerate their hallucinogenic effects. Therefore, non-hallucinogenic derivatives of these drugs, such as TD-0148A, represent a promising alternative," Halberstadt said in a statement.
"TD-0148A is a potential new therapy to treat debilitating psychiatric disorders with high unmet need, such as severe treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. BetterLife's goal is to bring this treatment to the clinic as soon as possible, and the expertise of Dr Halberstadt, a leading scientist in the field of psychedelic behavioral pharmacology, will help us realize our vision," added BetterLife's chief executive Ahmad Doroudian.
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