Bright Minds Biosciences Inc. (CSE:DRUG / NASDAQ:DRUG), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel drugs for the targeted treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and pain, today announced that the International Searching Authority reviewed its international patent application directed to phenethylamine compounds and issued a Written Opinion indicating that Bright Minds’ core phenethylamine compounds of interest are novel and inventive over the searched prior art.
Bright Minds recently filed an international patent application (assigned a filing number of PCT/CA2023/050003) directed at compounds that belong to the phenethylamine class of molecules, which the Company believes are potentially best in class compounds with an optimized short half-life, highly potent and extreme selectivity relative to other 5-HT2A agonists in development. Compounds from the Company’s 5-HT2A and 5-HT2A/5-HT2C programs are contained in this patent application, including its lead 5-HT2A agonist, BMB 202, as well as other backup and compounds of high interest from both programs. While the Written Opinion is non-binding, the Written Opinion is encouraging news and supports the view that Bright Minds has developed patentable phenethylamine compounds.
“We are very pleased with this favorable opinion and believe that it validates our drug discovery capabilities. This is an important first step in protecting our compounds of interest in jurisdictions around the world, as we continue to pursue innovation in the treatment of multiple brain-related disorders,”
Ian McDonald, CEO of Bright Minds
BMB-202 is a highly selective 5-HT2A agonist with proprietary intellectual property. BMB-202 exhibits a more than 30-fold selectivity over 5-HT2C and more than 500-fold selectivity over 5-HT2B. BMB-202 has shown two-fold superior potency compared to psilocin in vitro. As opposed to the first-generation psychedelics, BMB-202 is a full agonist at 5-HT2A receptor and does not have significant activity at other 5-HT receptors. BMB-202 is a fast acting, short duration, Cmax driven compound. We call these fast-on-fast-off compounds with anticipated patient discharge around two hours. BMB-202 exhibits excellent drug-like properties, brain penetrance and has demonstrated antidepressant drug profile in vivo. BMB-202 is the first clinical candidate from an extensive portfolio of selective 5-HT2A and 5-HT2A/2C agonists inspired from natural compound scaffolds.
About Bright Minds
Bright Minds is focused on developing novel transformative treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders, epilepsy, and pain. Bright Minds has a portfolio of next-generation serotonin agonists designed to target neurocircuit abnormalities that are responsible for difficult to treat disorders such as resistant epilepsy, treatment resistant depression, PTSD, and pain. The Company leverages its world-class scientific and drug development expertise to bring forward the next generation of safe and efficacious drugs. Bright Minds’ drugs have been designed to potentially retain the powerful therapeutic aspects of psychedelic and other serotonergic compounds, while minimizing the side effects, thereby creating superior drugs to first-generation compounds, such as psilocybin.