Eleusis is a pharmaceutical company that is developing serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists related to serotonergic psychedelics as novel anti-inflammatory drugs to treat inflammatory diseases.[1][2] It is interested in developing the drugs for treatment of conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and Crohn's disease, but is initially focusing on ophthalmology.[2]
Its drug candidates include ELE-02 (2C-iBu) and its predecessor ELE-01, which are both phenethylamines.[1][3] It is developing ELE-02 as a topical eye drop to treat inflammatory eye conditions.[1][3] (R)-DOI is said to be a fallback candidate for ELE-02.[3] The company is also studying lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) microdosing in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.[1][2][4] In addition, they are studying psilocybin infusion (ELE-101; ELE-Psilo; ELE-Psilo+) and ketamine (ELE-Ket+) for treatment of major depressive disorder.[5][6]
Eleusis was co-founded by business executive and former Goldman Sachs managing director Shlomi Raz and by psychedelic pharmacologist Charles D. Nichols in London, United Kingdom in 2013.[1][2] The company was named after the Eleusinian Mysteries.[1] It was the first company to start developing psychedelic drugs as medicines.[2] Raz is the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and chairman, while Nichols is its lead scientist.[2][1] Emeline Maillet is the company's scientific director and Tim Foster is a collaborator or colleague of Nichols and another scientist at Eleusis.[1] A preclinical and clinical development program to develop novel serotonergic anti-inflammatory agents with reduced or no hallucinogenic effects was launched in 2015 and led to its ELE compounds.[2]
Eleusis was acquired by Beckley Psytech in October 2022.[7][8]
See also
- List of psychedelic pharmaceutical companies
- List of investigational hallucinogens and entactogens
- 5-HT2A receptor § Anti-inflammatory effects
External links
References
- Colleen Newvine. Eleusis Draws on Research Into Psychedelics To Develop New Medicines for Inflammation Lucid News - Psychedelics, Consciousness Technology, and the Future of Wellness, 8 July 2020, retrieved 16 February 2025^
- Psychedelic Alpha. Interview with Shlomi Raz, CEO and Chairman of Eleusis Psychedelic Alpha, 3 June 2020, retrieved 16 February 2025^
- Shlomi Raz, Eleusis. Eleusis Drug Development Overview February 2020^
- Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of low dose lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in healthy older volunteers Psychopharmacology (Berl), March 2020^
- Psilocybin infusion AdisInsight, 25 June 2024, retrieved 17 February 2025^
- Ketamine - Beckley Psytech AdisInsight, 28 January 2024, retrieved 17 February 2025^
- Marc Gunther. What’s the Future of Eleusis Therapeutics After Acquisition by Beckley Psytech? Lucid News - Psychedelics, Consciousness Technology, and the Future of Wellness, 26 October 2022, retrieved 17 February 2025^
- Beckley Psytech Strengthens Pipeline and Development Team With Acquisition of Eleusis Therapeutics Limited Psychedelic Alpha, Psychedelic Alpha, 24 October 2022, retrieved 17 February 2025^