Depression is primarily managed through a combination of lifestyle changes, talking therapies and medications, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) being the most common drugs prescribed by doctors or physicians for the condition. 

For some people living with depression, the currently available treatments work but for others, there can be limited efficacy and challenges that impact treatment adherence, including undesirable side effects and a slow onset of action. It is estimated that around 33% of patients living with depression are resistant to multiple courses of available treatments (Nature, 2021) and up to 60% of patients (Ann. Pharmacotherapy, 2002) discontinue or switch their medication within 12 weeks due to side effects. This leaves a huge unmet need for more effective, well-tolerated and rapid-acting treatment options.

We are investigating BPL-003 - our novel synthetic intranasal formulation of 5-MeO-DMT benzoate - and ELE-101 -  our novel, synthetic intravenous formulation of psilocin benzoate - as potential treatments for depression.

Findings from an open-label Phase IIa study of BPL-003 in patients with Treatment Resistant Depression (depression that failed to respond to two or more prior treatments) found that a single administration of BPL-003 demonstrated a rapid, robust and lasting antidepressant effect, with 45% of patients in remission at day 85. BPL-003 also required a short time in clinic, with patients deemed dischargeable within an average time of less than 2 hours.