Revixia Life Sciences launches with focus on psychedelic treatment for mental health

Biopharmaceutical atai Life Sciences has launched a subsidiary targeting the development of a psychedelic therapy designed to treat a variety of mental health disorders.

Revixia Life Sciences will develop Salvinorin A, a non-nitrogenous agonist of the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) with potential use in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), substance use disorder (SUD) and pain.

SalA is an atypical KOR agonist with a complex pharmacological profile. Its mechanism of action (MoA) shows no interaction with the main molecular target for the hallucinogens such as psilocybin and LSD. Instead, it’s thought that SalA indirectly influences the cannabinoid system, as well as being an allosteric modulator of the µ opioid receptor.

“Due to SalA’s short psychedelic effect, it will be an attractive option for those who would like psychedelic treatment but are unwilling or unable to participate in longer sessions,’’ said Glenn Short, CEO of Revixia. ‘’The shorter experience will allow for more practical administration and monitoring, which may even make it possible to attend psychotherapy sessions on the same day.’’

“While Sal A has until now been under-studied, its unique MoA may allow for combination with SSRIs, potentially giving patients a better chance in beating depression’’ said Srinivas Rao, CSO and co-founder of atai Life Sciences. “We’re thrilled to be pursuing SalA and progressing research, as we strive for new treatments”.

Revixia’s product will be paired with a digital therapeutic being developed by atai company Introspect Digital Therapeutics, with the aim of streamlining preparation, integration, and continued patient engagement.

“In exploring SalA, Revixia has an opportunity to develop a product with diverse therapeutic potential. Incubating companies such as Revixia, Viridia Life Sciences and EmpathBio demonstrate the importance of diversification as we strive to treat multiple indications,” said Florian Brand, CEO and co-founder of atai Life Sciences. “Revixia’s development of SalA directly demonstrates the critical innovation that we believe will be pivotal in successfully delivering on atai’s mission.”