- MindMed announced today the publication of the first pharmacogenetic data on LSD to help personalize dosing.
- The results of this study indicate that pharmacogenetic testing prior to LSD-assisted treatment may inform LSD dose selection at the individual patient level.
MindMed (Nasdaq: MNMD), a leading psychedelic medicine biotech company, announced today the publication of the first pharmacogenetic data on LSD to help personalize dosing. The study results from a pooled secondary analysis of four Phase 1 studies that each used a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design and were conducted at the University Hospital Basel Liechti Lab, in Basel, Switzerland.
The results of this study indicate that pharmacogenetic testing prior to LSD-assisted treatment may inform LSD dose selection at the individual patient level.
“This is the first data on the pharmacogenetics of LSD. The results indicate that a test of the metabolic function of a patient by CYP2D6 phenotyping and genotyping can be used to adjust the dose of LSD. Such information is important for the further development of LSD into a medication and could ultimately help to personalize patient treatment.”
Dr. Matthias Liechti
Key Findings:
In vitro studies indicate that metabolic cytochrome P450 isoforms, particularly CYP2D6, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9, are involved in LSD metabolism, but clinical studies of the effects of variations of these isoforms had not been conducted.
This study examined the influence of genetic polymorphisms of important CYP enzymes on the pharmacokinetics and acute psychological effects of LSD in healthy subjects. Common genetic variants of CYPs including CYP2D6, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP2B6 were identified in 81 healthy subjects pooled from four randomized placebo-controlled double-blind Phase 1 studies.
Genetically determined CYP2D6 functionality significantly influenced the pharmacokinetics of LSD. Specifically, individuals with no functional CYP2D6, known as poor metabolizers, had longer LSD half-lives and approximately 75% higher parent drug and main metabolite, 2-oxo-3-hydroxy-LSD, area under the curve blood plasma concentrations compared with carriers of functional CYP2D6. Additionally, non-functional CYP2D6 metabolizers exhibited increased acute psychological effects and longer subjective effect durations compared with functional CYP2D6 metabolizers.
No effect on the pharmacokinetics or acute effects of LSD were observed with other CYP variations. These results indicate that specific genetic polymorphisms of CYP2D6 significantly influence the pharmacokinetic and subjective effects of LSD.
The study “Genetic influence of CYP2D6 on pharmacokinetics and acute subjective effects of LSD in a pooled analysis” was published in the Nature Scientific Reports.
“The psychedelic experience can be conceptualized as the facilitated transforming encounter between one’s fears and longings with the universe and its network of living processes. This work with Professor Liechti, indicating that genetic polymorphisms of CYP2D6 significantly influence the pharmacokinetic and subjective effects of LSD, is an illustration that biological and psychological transformation processes may be deeply interwoven. When LSD is the chosen key to open an opportunity for psycho-transformation and growth, individual parameters such as one’s own metabolization and bio-transformation rhythm have to be carefully understood and taken into consideration in order to allow the transformative effect to happen in the most powerful and safe manner.”
MindMed Executive President, Dr. Miri Halperin Wernli
About MindMed
MindMed is a clinical-stage psychedelic medicine biotech company that discovers, develops and deploys psychedelic inspired medicines and therapies to address addiction and mental illness. The company is assembling a compelling drug development pipeline of innovative treatments based on psychedelic substances including Psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, DMT and an Ibogaine derivative, 18-MC. The MindMed executive team brings extensive biopharmaceutical experience to MindMed’s approach to developing the next generation of psychedelic inspired medicines and therapies.
MindMed trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol MNMD and on the Canadian NEO exchange under the symbol MMED. MindMed is also traded in Germany under the symbol MMQ.