The therapeutic benefits of psilocybin are being explored in many states as policy begins to shift away from prohibition. In turn, researchers are learning how the compounds in magic mushrooms interact with the brain.
Dr. Andrew Chadeayne, founder and CEO of CaaMTech in Issaquah, WA, is researching the therapeutic value of psilocybin in combination with cannabinoids. The company develops pharmaceutical drugs for mental health conditions like depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Through their research, CaaMTech has isolated derivatives of psilocybin, cannabinoids, and terpenes. In 2021, the company earned a patent for the pharmaceutical application of various formulations. In the time it took to get the patent approved, the research team had filed over 100 new patent applications.
Before founding CaaMTech, Dr. Chadeayne researched the neuroscience of addiction. In 2002 Dr. Chadeayne worked on a team that dug into the correlation between sugar addiction and opioid receptors. By 2010, he had formulated the first water-soluble vitamin C, which he used in a post-swim chlorine-removal spray.
The doctor entered the cannabis space through ebbu, a science-driven cannabis brand based in Colorado. In his time at ebbu, he was responsible for building a robust intellectual property profile that eventually led the brand to an acquisition by Canopy Growth Corporation. The patent is the first step to building a similarly formidable IP portfolio for CaaMTech. It covers multiple formulations using various combinations of psilocybin derivatives, cannabinoids, and terpenes.
“Our goal from Day 1 has been to capture as much of CaaMTech’s scientific innovation as possible in our intellectual property portfolio as we develop the next generation of psychedelic drugs,” said Dr. Chadeayne in a press release about the patent.
“Strong patent protection and fundamental research give our drugs the foundational support that they need to proceed through clinical trials and become FDA-approved medicines.”
The patented formulation works with serotonin receptors, potentially alleviating mood disorders, suicidal ideations, and other psychological conditions. It also voices the need for more research into isolating and stabilizing psychedelic compounds for pharmaceutical applications.
Since receiving patent approval, CaaMTech has shared findings related to 4-PrO-DMT as a novel synthetic alternative to psilocybin, among other things. Separate efforts may supplement this work, like the research survey from SABI Mind covering myriad topics, like the general acceptance or disregard for synthetic alternatives to compounds like psilocybin. These steps, alongside policy work, create wider access lanes for patients seeking trustworthy, science-based psychedelic therapies.