TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Psilera Bioscience ("Psilera") in collaboration with the University of South Florida ("USF") and its Chemical Purification and Screening facility has received DEA approval to research DMT, psilocybin, and psilocin (the active ingredients naturally found in ayahuasca tea and magic mushrooms).
Psilera and USF join only a handful of prestigious U.S. universities to undertake psychedelics research. Psilera will initiate research programs in its quest to become the first psychedelics company developing non-invasive, patient-friendly delivery methods for DMT (N,N-dimethyltryptamine).
"We are focused on new delivery mechanisms to harness neurological benefits while making these treatments more accessible to patients in need," said Jackie von Salm, PhD, co-founder & CSO of Psilera.
To get approval from the DEA to research Schedule 1 drugs, researchers must provide information about their qualifications, research protocol and the institution where the research will take place. The co-founders of Psilera, Drs. Jackie von Salm and Chris Witowski, both earned their doctoral degrees in natural products chemistry from USF and now call their alma mater home in the USF Research Park for their biotech startup specializing in the clinical development of psychedelic analogues.
Since its founding in 2019, Psilera has chemically synthesized a number of compounds as a member of the USF Connect's incubator program. These psychedelic analogues will be evaluated for safety and efficacy at the USF Health Neuroscience Institute while Psilera's novel DMT delivery device will be assessed through forthcoming research partnerships.
"We're very pleased to build upon our strong relationship with the university and this major milestone will further our understanding of psychedelics and develop next generation treatment options for this promising drug class," said Chris Witowski, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Psilera Bioscience. "This approval will enable us to significantly accelerate our neuromodulator pipeline and drug formulations into clinical development."
A research powerhouse, USF has received the elite 'Preeminent' status in Florida, ranks among the highest in the nation for academic research funding, and in the top-10 annually for awarded patents. Neuroscience remains a primary focus of the university that includes leading researchers in mood, addiction, and cognitive disorders within Byrd Alzheimer's Center and Neuroscience Institutes. The USF Connect incubator hosts several biotech companies and is expanding with construction of new facilities already underway within USF Research Park.
About Psilera Bioscience - Psilera Bioscience is a psychedelic-based biotechnology company developing its proprietary neuromodulator pipeline to target central nervous system disorders. Psilera leverages research strengths with executives from the pharmaceutical and cannabis industries to repurpose psychoactive natural products as building blocks for next generation therapies to improve mental health.
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SOURCE Psilera Bioscience
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