MAPS Public Benefit Corp., which has advocated for psychedelics use since the 1980s, will be renamed Lykos Therapeutics immediately, according to a statement Friday. The company is the for-profit affiliate of the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies.
The funding is led by the nonprofit Helena, which calls itself a “global problem-solving organization” and was founded by Yale dropout Henry Elkus, 28. Among its dozens of members are Citadel hedge fund magnate Ken Griffin; John Brennan and James Woolsey, both former directors of the US Central Intelligence Agency; and Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
The $100 million includes conversion of previously issued convertible notes, and a spokeswoman declined to break down how much of the investment was new money.
Also participating in the round is the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, led by Alex Cohen, the wife of Steve Cohen of Point72 Asset Management. It has previously funded MAPS.
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The $100 million in funding is a significant thrust for the nascent psychedelics industry, which has so far failed to get drugs like psilocybin, LSD or MDMA approved by the US Food and Drug Administration — a process which requires lengthy clinical trials to test their efficacy and risks for specific conditions. Meanwhile, use of drugs is spreading on the illicit market, and some states have decriminalized use or created frameworks for legal use.
The company formerly known as MAPS PBC has focused on researching MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly when used as a street drug, for the potential treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
The company has completed two late-stage trials for PTSD and submitted a new-drug application to the FDA to use MDMA in concert with talk therapy. The FDA usually approves only drugs, not psychological intervention, and this would be the first psychedelic-assisted therapy accepted by a federal regulator.
Helena Managing Director Protik Basu, who has a background in public health, will join Lykos’ board.
“This strong funding round, combined with the Phase 3 results and recent new drug application submission to the FDA, position Lykos to continue its journey,” Basu said in the statement.
Basu is also an adviser to Wesray Social Investments, the family office of Helena member and investor Ray Chambers, according to Helena’s website. Helena wasn’t immediately available for comment on how its investment was funded, or whether all its members participate in funding decisions.
Helena, which selects societal problems and tries to fund solutions, has also invested millions of dollars in Aether diamonds, made with carbon pulled from the atmosphere, and in efforts to supply protective equipment during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Others joining in the round include Eir Therapeutics, Vine Ventures, True Ventures, Unlikely Collaborators Foundation, the Joe and Sandy Samberg Foundation, Bail Capital, KittyHawk Ventures and Satori Neuro, according to the statement.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/psychedelics-firm-gets-100-million-130131463.html