Eleusis

Eleusis Ltd. was a clinical-stage life science company, founded in London in 2013, that focused on unlocking the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. The company was established by Shlomi Raz, a former Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, and Charles D. Nichols, a psychedelic pharmacologist. Raz's journey from finance to psychology, culminating in a Master's degree from New York University, sparked his interest in the therapeutic efficiency of psychedelics after encountering research from Johns Hopkins University. This led to his collaboration with Nichols, an expert in the field, to form Eleusis, named after the ancient Greek rites that likely involved psychedelic concoctions.

The company pursued a dual-pronged strategy: developing psychedelic compounds for psychiatric conditions and exploring their anti-inflammatory properties for a broader range of diseases. For the psychiatric market, Eleusis was developing infusion therapies to improve the safety and accessibility of treatments for conditions like major depressive disorder. A key asset was ELE-101, an intravenous (IV) formulation of psilocin (the active metabolite of psilocybin), designed to offer a rapid onset and shorter, more controllable treatment duration compared to oral psilocybin. The business model revolved around advancing these drug candidates through clinical trials to gain regulatory approval and commercialize them as mainstream medicines. This included the 2020 acquisition of Kalypso Wellness Centers, a provider of ketamine infusion therapies, to accelerate clinical development and care delivery.

Beyond psychiatry, Eleusis pioneered research into the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists. This research aimed to develop treatments for conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and inflammatory eye conditions, often using doses designed to minimize or eliminate psychoactive effects. Their work identified that certain compounds could reduce inflammation effectively without the potent hallucinogenic properties of substances like LSD. A significant milestone was the acquisition by Beckley Psytech in October 2022 in an all-equity transaction. This event marked a period of consolidation in the psychedelic medicine industry. Following the acquisition, Eleusis's assets, including the promising ELE-101 candidate and its research and development team, were integrated into Beckley Psytech. Shlomi Raz was appointed Chief Business Officer of Beckley Psytech.

Keywords: psychedelic medicine, clinical-stage life science, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonists, major depressive disorder, psilocybin, psilocin, intravenous formulation, drug discovery, Shlomi Raz, Charles D. Nichols, Beckley Psytech, ELE-101, Kalypso Wellness Centers, psychedelic drug development, mental health treatment, depression therapy, biopharmaceutical, venture-backed, therapeutic potential, Alzheimer's research, drug infusion therapy