Negev Labs

NEWS ALERT: Today, we officially announced our emergence from stealth with an exciting new agreement with the Alexander Shulgin Research Institute. Sasha Shulgin was a giant in the psychedelic medicines industry, and we’re proud to be able to build on his legacy.   As part of our emergence, we also announced two additional milestones: the acquisition of Beckley Psytech’s ophthalmology program and our partnership with Hadassah Brain Labs to advance non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogens.   Negev Labs is proud to be at the forefront of neuroplastogen development and is excited to usher in the next generation of therapeutics. Read more about today’s announcement below. #biotech #research #medicine   https://lnkd.in/emeVTPGa

We are delighted to hear of a $3m grant secured by Tessera Therapeutics, Psylo and the University of Sydney to advance the development of novel neuroplastogens for addiction. The partnership aims to develop neuroplastogens as treatments for substance use disorders, specifically targeting methamphetamine addiction. This collaboration will leverage Tessara's advanced RealBrain® microtissue technology, Psylo's innovative neuroplastogens, and the University of Sydney's neuroscience expertise to tackle the pressing public health challenge of methamphetamine addiction. Neuroplastogens are an emerging therapeutic class of neuroplasticity-promoting compounds that aim to better address the root causes of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders by restoring and stimulating the growth of synaptic connections. #neuroscience #neuroplastogens #psychiatry https://lnkd.in/gGjWkE_s

Lundbeck is set to acquire Longboard Pharmaceuticals for $2.6Bn, gaining access to bexicaserin - a selective 5-HT2C receptor agonist in development for Dravet syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and other developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs). Bexicaserin has shown promising anti-seizure reduction in preclinical and clinical studies and is now being evaluated in a global Phase III clinical program. This strategic deal highlights increasing M&A activity in the CNS therapy area and renewed interest in serotonergic drug development. #Bexicaserin #Neuroscience #Epilepsy https://lnkd.in/e7BYFK8h

Delighted to announce the publication in Molecular Psychiatry of our new paper showing the long-term effects of psilocybin and psychedelic mushroom extract to strikingly inhibit the excessive self-grooming, head body tics and anxiety manifested by SAPAP3-KO mice. https://lnkd.in/dhwfeZ4s These findings have important translational implications for the treatment of OCD and Tourette's Syndrome. Notably, psychedelic mushroom extract was more effective than chemical psilocybin in alleviating anxiety-like features in SAPAP3-KO mice.

We are delighted to hear that the FDA has approved Karuna/Bristol Myers Squibb’s KarXT (Cobenfy) - an oral, first-in-class dual M1/M4 muscarinic receptor agonist for the treatment of Schizophrenia in adults. The drug is a fixed-dose combination of xanomeline and trospium that has shown to provide antipsychotic benefit with a favourable safety and tolerability profile. Cobenfy marks the first drug with a novel mechanism of action for Schizophrenia in over 30 years, providing a new treatment option for patients beyond dopamine-targeted therapies which are typically associated with poor treatment adherence and adverse side effects such as motor impairment and weight gain. The FDA approval of Cobenfy represents an important milestone in psychiatric drug development, signalling biotech’s resurgence in the CNS space and a revival in breakthrough innovation. #Schizophrenia #Cobenfy #Neuroscience https://lnkd.in/gR_GWnSY

We are delighted to hear of new positive preclinical in vivo data announced by Psilera for PSIL-006 – a non-hallucinogenic, psilocybin-inspired neuroplastogen for the treatment of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). PSIL-006 has shown a strong safety profile from maximum tolerated dose in vivo studies, as well as the ability to improve sleep and cognitive function in human tau-expressing mice models. Psilera is now positioned to advance PSIL-006 towards first-in-human studies for FTD. We recognize Psilera’s important contributions towards the rapidly growing neuroplastogen drug development sector. Neuroplastogens are an emerging class of compounds that have the potential to provide clinical benefit in a wide range of indications without the adverse effects commonly seen in first-generation compounds like psychedelics. #neuroplastogens #drugdevelopment #dementia https://lnkd.in/e6cRK7dY

Despite promising advancements in pain medicine, clinical drug development for pain has been hampered by poor predictive validity of preclinical models, high placebo response rates, and an insufficient understanding of the mechanisms underlying this complex, highly heterogenous condition. Mounting evidence suggests that several serotonin receptor subtypes are involved in pain processing and underlie maladaptive neuroplastic processes in cortical areas - such as the primary somatosensory cortex and periaqueductal gray - that lead to the onset and maintenance of various pain disorders. A recent paper published by Oklahoma State University describes the promising anti-hypersensitivity of novel, non-hallucinogenic analogues derived from iboga alkaloids in mice models of visceral and neuropathic pain. Ibogalogs such as ibogainalog (IBG) and ibogaminalog (DM506) demonstrated rapid and enduring anti-hyperalgesic and anti-allodynic effects that were mediated by 5-HT2A receptor activation in these models. Though not explored in the study, existing evidence in the literature suggests that activation of the 5-HT2A receptor may lead to increased upregulation of the co-transporter, KCC2, which has shown to enhance inhibitory GABAergic signalling and thereby reduce pain sensation. Therapeutic targets such as 5-HT2AR and Nav1.8 represent new, non-opioid-based approaches that are urgently needed for the development of more effective and safe pain medicines, given current treatments have serious adverse effects such as memory loss, depression and addiction. #neuroplastogens #pain #neuroplasticity #paindrugdevelopment https://lnkd.in/eGgt2YXt

Negev Labs is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of Psychedelic Medicine Israel - 2024, an exciting, interdisciplinary and international conference unveiling innovations and breakthroughs in psychedelic and neuroplastogen drug development. The conference will be held in Tel Aviv on July 28-31, 2024, and will encompass basic, translational and clinical research with a richly varied program including Plenary Lectures, Thematic Symposia, Poster Sessions, Workshops and informal Salons for discussion and interaction. Our Science Partner, Bernard Lerer, will be delivering a fascinating talk on the preclinical efficacy of a non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogen and its implications for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder. Negev Labs is a company builder dedicated to unlocking the full therapeutic potential of neuroplastogens. We partner with researchers to rapidly translate cutting-edge discoveries into urgently needed therapies by rapidly advancing them into clinical trials through purpose-built companies. If you would like to partner with Negev Labs or are eager to learn more about our mission, please reach out to us via our website! #neuroplastogens #neuroscience #neuropsychiatry #psychedelics https://www.negevlabs.com/

Negev Labs is proud to be a Gold Sponsor of Psychedelic Medicine Israel - 2024, an exciting, interdisciplinary and international conference unveiling innovations and breakthroughs in psychedelic and neuroplastogen drug development. The conference will be held in Tel Aviv on July 28-31, 2024, and will encompass basic, translational and clinical research with a richly varied program including Plenary Lectures, Thematic Symposia, Poster Sessions, Workshops and informal Salons for discussion and interaction. Our Science Partner, Bernard Lerer, will be delivering a fascinating talk on the preclinical efficacy of a non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogen and its implications for the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive-Disorder. Negev Labs is a company builder dedicated to unlocking the full therapeutic potential of neuroplastogens. We partner with researchers to rapidly translate cutting-edge discoveries into urgently needed therapies by rapidly advancing them into clinical trials through purpose-built companies. If you would like to partner with Negev Labs or are eager to learn more about our mission, please reach out to us via our website! #neuroplastogens #neuroscience #neuropsychiatry #psychedelics https://www.negevlabs.com/

In early April of this year, PureTech Health launched Seaport Therapeutics with $100m Series A funding to advance a pipeline of neuropsychiatric drugs with improved oral bioavailability for the treatment of depression, anxiety and other mood disorders. Behind the company are pharma executives from neuro-focused Karuna Therapeutics, which was acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb for $14Bn back in December 2023. As part of its early-stage pipeline, Seaport disclosed “SPT-348” - a prodrug of a non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogen - which is currently in preclinical studies and positioned to treat various mood and neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuroplastogens are novel compounds that harness the rapid-acting efficacy of first-generation psychedelics without inducing hallucinogenic and other associated adverse effects. These compounds may show clinically meaningful benefit in the treatment of various psychiatric and non-psychiatric disorders. We are thrilled to see other companies explore the therapeutic potential of neuroplastogens as part of their drug discovery and development efforts, and we expect this field of research to grow rapidly in the near future. #neuroplastogens #neuroscience #neuropsychiatry https://lnkd.in/eUDcGt7u