Delix Therapeutics

Delix Therapeutics is an American biotech company based in Boston, Massachusetts.[1][2] The company develops novel neuroplasticity-promoting therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[3][2] It was co-founded in 2019 by David E. Olson and Nick Haft.[4][2]

Company History

The company was founded to develop novel, non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens, also known as neuroplastogens, to better treat mental health disorders at scale.[2] Nick Haft and David E. Olson founded the company following Olson’s discovery that psychedelics are highly potent neuroplasticity-promoting compounds.[3][2] In September 2021, Delix secured a Series A financing round, the largest in the space, to continue their work focused on neuroplastogens and neuroplasticity therapeutics.[5] Also in Fall of 2021, Delix joined the National Institute on Drug Abuse industry partnering program to screen psychoplastogens in models of substance use disorder.[3] In 2021, the company expanded the leadership team, adding a new CEO,[6] CSO,[1] and CMO[1]

Awards

In 2021, Delix was named one of the Fierce 15 of Biotech.[7] In 2022, Nature named Delix Spinout of the Year[8] and Delix was awarded the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) ACE award.[9] In 2023, Delix was a finalist for the Prix Galien award for Best Startup[10] and the BWB award for Biotech Innovation of the Year[11] and won the Biotech Breakthrough Award for Neuroscience Therapeutics Company of the Year.[12]

Product Candidates

To date, the company has synthesized over 2,000 novel psychoplastogens.[13] Many of these small molecule compounds are analogs of known psychedelics such as ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT.[14] Delix focuses on the development of non-hallucinogenic psychoplastogens as scalable alternatives to first-generation hallucinogenic psychoplastogens like ketamine and psilocybin.[15] Their compounds have been engineered to lack cardiotoxicity and psychostimulant properties characteristic of other first-generation psychoplastogens.[16] The company’s known drug candidates include zalsupindole (DLX-001; AAZ-A-154), tabernanthalog (DLX-007), and DLX-159.[17][18] Delix has licensed these compounds from UC Davis.[19]

See also

• List of psychedelic pharmaceutical companies
• List of investigational hallucinogens and entactogens
• Psychoplastogen
• Zalsupindole (DLX-001; AAZ-A-154)
• Tabernanthalog (DLX-007)
• DLX-159
• DLX-2270
• DLX-0002700
• David E. Olson