BetterLife Pharma Inc (CSE:BETR, OTCQB:BETRF) reported positive findings from a pre-clinical study on mice, which showed the therapeutic potential of its 2-bromo-LSD (TD-0148A) candidate as an anti-depressant.
TD-0148A is a second-generation Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) derivative molecule that BetterLife believes will mimic the therapeutic potential of LSD without causing psychedelic effects.
The study was part of the company's collaboration with Dr. Argel Aguilar-Valles at Carleton University.
"There is a high unmet need for novel anti-depressants for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and these early data provide evidence for the therapeutic potential of TD-0148A as an anti-depressant," said BetterLife CEO Dr. Ahmad Doroudian in a statement.
"BetterLife is fully focused on bringing TD-0148A to the US IND stage and into the clinic as soon as possible, and our collaborations with global experts such as Dr. Aguilar-Valles, a leading scientist in depression research, will help us realize our vision."
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The work showed that both single and repeat dose treatments with TD-0148A "significantly reversed" the depressive-like behavior in chronically-stressed female mice, noted BetterLife.
Dr. Argel Aguilar-Valles added: "The high rate of resistance to (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) SSRI and other first-line treatments in MDD indicates an urgent unmet need for alternative anti-depressant treatments.
"LSD and other psychedelic drugs have been shown to have anti-depressant effects, and non-hallucinogenic derivatives of these drugs such as TD-0148A represent a promising alternative."
BetterLife Pharma is an emerging biotechnology company primarily focused on developing and commercializing two compounds, TD-0148A and TD-010, to treat neuro-psychiatric and neurological disorders.
Contact the author at giles@proactiveinvestors.com