BetterLife Pharma Inc (CSE:BETR, OTCQB:BETRF) has announced that an abstract covering the anti-depressant activity of its lead compound 2-bromo-LSD (BETR-001) has been accepted for poster presentation at the FENS Forum to be held in Paris on July 9-13, 2022.
The study, led by Vern Lewis, is part of BetterLife’s collaboration with the laboratory of Argel Aguilar-Valles at Carleton University’s Department of Neuroscience.
Lewis will present preclinical data demonstrating the anti-depressant and neural plasticity-promoting properties of BETR-001 from both in vitro and in vivo studies, the company said. BETR-001 is a non-hallucinogenic Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) derivative molecule.
BetterLife believes that BETR-001 is a uniquely positioned LSD derivative with the potential to be as equally effective as LSD in the treatment of various neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders but without the burden of being hallucinogenic.
Since it is non-hallucinogenic, BETR-001 will not have to be administered in specialized clinics under special treatment protocols, the company said, noting that regulatory issues around controlled substances impact manufacturing, distribution and patient access.
The company added that BETR-001 is protected by BetterLife’s composition, method-of-use, synthesis and formulation patents, both issued and provisional.
BetterLife also owns a drug candidate for the treatment of viral infections such as coronavirus (COVID-19).
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
Follow him on Twitter @andrew_kessel