Privately held Beckley Psytech Ltd. is to be taken over by Atai Life Sciences in an all-share deal that values the U.K. psychedelic drug specialist at $370 million. After making a $50 million investment in January 2024, Berlin-based Atai already owns 36% of Beckley. It will now issue 105 million new shares to its fellow Beckley investors, giving them 34% ownership of the merged company.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by synaptic dysfunction, neuronal loss and the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, ultimately leading to cognitive decline. Despite significant research efforts, no existing treatment has proven effective enough to stop or reverse the progression of the disease.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to clinical symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, bradykinesia and postural instability.

Enveric Biosciences Inc. has released promising preclinical results for its lead neuroplastogen drug candidate, EB-003, in the open space forced swim test, a preclinical mouse model of severe depression and despair. In the first study, an oral dose of EB-003 at 30 mg/kg significantly reduced depression-like behavior within 30 minutes of administration.

Four months after Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s U.S. FDA nod for Journavx (suzetrigine) as the first drug targeting NaV1.8 for treating pain, Eli Lilly and Co. is joining the potential competition via a buyout of Siteone Therapeutics Inc., a privately held firm developing small-molecule sodium channel inhibitors, including a phase II-ready NaV1.8 inhibitor.