Nature Biotechnology Selects Delix Therapeutics as a Leading Biotech Start-Up

Delix Therapeutics, a neuroscience company developing novel disease-modifying therapeutics for psychiatric and neurological conditions, has been named to Nature Biotechnology‘s list of leading spinouts of 2021.  Each year Nature Biotechnology identifies and features companies originating from academic institutions who have generated significant initial funding demonstrating and progressing novel technology with the potential for great impact.

Delix Therapeutics was co-founded by David E. Olson, a University of California, Davis professor and the company’s Chief Innovation Officer. Delix is creating a neuroplasticity platform that preserves the therapeutic effects seen across first-generation psychedelics, such as psilocybin, LSD or ibogaine, while removing hallucinogenic and other unwanted side effects. These neuroplasticity-promoting therapeutics, known as psychoplastogens, are capable of rapidly inducing structural and functional reorganization of neural circuits to produce positive behavioral effects, and may have wide therapeutic potential. Delix has built a world class team who has advanced Professor Olson’s discovery, creating a diverse portfolio of psychoplastogens. Delix will bring the first of these novel compounds to the clinic next year with the goal to broaden patient access to novel, safe, fast-acting, and long-lasting medicines for a wide range of mental illnesses worldwide.

Delix’s library of more than 1,300 compounds to-date contains multiple distinct chemical scaffolds inspired by psychedelics and has begun completely novel chemical matter unrelated to psychedelics but maintaining the psychoplastogenic activity. These compounds have the potential to address a range of diseases including depression, substance use disorder, PTSD, cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, neurodegeneration, and other conditions.

Previous companies featured in Nature Biotechnology‘s annual lists of leading academic spinouts include Sana Biotechnology, Sonoma Biotherapeutics, Graphite Bio, Korro Bio, and Storm Therapeutics. Last year, Delix was also named to Fierce Biotech’s “Fierce15” biotechnology companies of 2021. The company’s research has been widely published in such scientific journals as Cell, Nature, Cell Reports, Molecular Psychiatry, Frontiers in Psychiatry, and the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, among other publications.

Delix Therapeutics is a neuroscience company focused on harnessing the power of psychoplastogens—novel neuroplasticity-promoting therapeutics—to better treat mental health disorders at scale. The company’s compounds are easily manufactured small molecules capable of rapidly inducing structural and functional neural changes in targeted areas of the brain. Many of these molecules are inspired by psychedelic compounds and preserve their efficacy-promoting mechanisms while avoiding their hallucinogenic properties and other safety liabilities. Delix is rapidly advancing these compounds through preclinical and clinical development to bring patients FDA-approved, take-home medicines that will serve several unmet needs. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Delix is building a world-class biotechnology company by combining an experienced team with innovative treatment strategies and scientific rigor to address the significant and growing mental health challenges impacting society.