Field Trip Announces Major Indications For Lead Drug

This article by Jason Najum was originally published on Microdose Psychedelic Insights and appears here with permission.

But the more exciting stuff is in the drug development side of things. We expect sometime in the fall to be announcing the lead indications for FT-104. And the disclosure of exactly what molecule FT-104 is will come at the end of the year. Then we’ll see Phase 1 clinical trials commence early next year, and all things being equal, Phase 2 clinical trials before the end of next year.”

A quote from our interview with Field Trip Chairman Ronan Levy, about their lead drug candidate.

Following up on this promise, Field Trip Health FTRP has just announced that the lead indications for FT-104 will be Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) and Postpartum Depression (PPD). Important mental health issues with big market potential.

From the company’s press release:

“Through Field Trip Discovery, its drug development division, Field Trip is developing next-generation psychedelic molecules. Its first molecule in development, FT-104, a prodrug, is a synthetic serotonin-2A (5HT2A) agonist whose active component has serotonin-2A potency similar to psilocybin. Importantly, however, the active component of FT-104 is expected to produce a reliably shorter duration of psychoactivity (2-3 hours) than psilocybin and has high bioavailability after administration.

Preclinical activities that will enable commencement of Phase I clinical trials in calendar Q1 2022 are ongoing and are expected to continue through to the end of calendar 2021. After completion of Phase 1 and opening of a US-IND, Field Trip intends to initiate Phase IIA studies in TRD, following which Phase II studies in TRD and PPD are expected to be conducted substantially in parallel.”

This is big news for the company and its shareholders, as Field Trip attempts to expand into its drug development portfolio. Known as the industry’s leader in treatment clinics, the expansion of novel drug development is an important step in both building the company’s verticality and attracting investors looking for the big pharma bucks.

From Joseph del Moral, Field Trip’s CEO:

“The decision to pursue TRD and PPD in parallel is the result of a comprehensive strategic assessment of FT-104’s unique and desirable characteristics. TRD represents a tremendous market opportunity for which we believe FT-104 will rapidly become a preferred treatment option, especially relative to psilocybin. Notably, PPD is an acute condition with a lower regulatory burden and shorter overall timelines for approval making FT-104 a potential first-in-class for PPD. By pursuing TRD and PPD in parallel, we can achieve both speed and scale for FT-104.”

Field Trip’s next big news will come when they release information on exactly what FT-104 is. Right now the drug’s actual origin is a secret, a novel compound that Field Trip has proprietary rights to and that they believe will outperform other molecules.

Stay tuned to Microdose for more breaking news on this story.

And read our featured interview with Field Trip’s Chairman here.