Toronto, Ontario–(Newsfile Corp. – April 14, 2025) – Neural Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: NURL) (FSE: HANF) (“Neural” or the “Company”), an ethnobotanical drug discovery company dedicated to developing therapeutic drugs for mental illnesses related to substance use disorders, is pleased to announce it has filed a patent application focused on the treatment of several major mental health conditions with mescaline, as well as on novel technology for the extraction of mescaline for the production of pharma-grade products.
Development of Mescaline Based Mental Health Treatments
Neural is working on the development of mescaline-based mental health treatments for a number of DSM-5 disorders, including addiction, depression, and anxiety. These are major conditions, with the global anxiety/depression treatment market projected to grow to USD 13 billion by 2027[1], and the global addiction treatment market forecasted to grow to around USD 16 billion by 2034.
Currently available therapies, which typically involve antidepressant-based treatment combined with talk therapy, have limited efficacy and require a relatively long time to become effective. To date, the majority of the research and development efforts have been focused on psilocybin and MDMA, while Neural’s focus is on mescaline — a substance with unique characteristics that the Company believes, based on early research, anecdotal evidence, and human use dating back to 5,700 years BC[2], will deliver significant therapeutic benefits not achievable with other therapies.
Ian Campbell, CEO, commented, “While some intellectual property exists in the mescaline space, treatment using sub-hallucinogenic doses has not received much attention. We believe that this dosage level will provide greater therapeutic benefits as compared to higher doses, while preventing patients from experiencing side-effects related to hallucinogenic-level doses – important metrics that the FDA would consider in new drug development. We believe this patent will enable us to own this segment, promising greater efficacy while reducing hurdles to adoption.”
Filing of Extraction Patent
Neural is also pleased to announce that it has also applied for a patent related to the production of pharmaceutical-grade mescaline products, focused on a novel method to extract the full spectrum of compounds from the San Pedro cactus. The claims being protected under the patent cover an extraction technology that Neural believes will deliver several major benefits: (1) improved yield compared to existing technologies, reducing costs; and (2) extraction of multiple alkaloids rather than isolating a single compound, which may deliver a wider range of potential health benefits in treating complex disorders.
Ian Campbell added, “By augmenting our intellectual property portfolio, we are adding to our arsenal to provide effective and practical solutions to tackle complex health ailments. We continue to work with our partners in Peru, the U.S., Canada, and other jurisdictions to advance research on the San Pedro cactus and mescaline, and expect to announce additional updates in due course.”
Frankfurt Stock Exchange Ticker Change
Neural also announces that its common shares (“Neural Shares”), previously trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (“FSE”) under the ticker symbol “M6B”, are now trading under the symbol “HANF”. Neural Shares will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE”) in Canada under the symbol “NURL”. No action is required by current shareholders with respect to the ticker symbol change.
Extension of Letter of Intent with “Hanf.com”
By mutual agreement, Neural and CWE European Holdings Inc. (“CWE”) have extended the term of the letter of intent and the deadline to enter into a definitive agreement to April 30, 2025. All other terms and conditions of the letter of intent (as further described in Neural’s press release dated October 3, 2024) remain unchanged. The parties continue to work towards the definitive agreement with their respective legal counsel and advisors and expect to announce an update in this regard in due course.
About Neural Therapeutics
Neural Therapeutics is a leader in ethnobotanical drug discovery, focusing on the development of therapeutic drugs for mental illnesses related to substance use disorders, including alcohol and opioid dependence. The Company’s innovative approach to drug development involves the strategic use of sub-hallucinogenic doses of mescaline extract, enhancing safety and scalability while maintaining therapeutic efficacy.