Reunion Neuroscience raises $103 million
Sarah Braner
C&EN Global Enterprise May 20, 2024 DOI: 10.1021/cen-10215-buscon2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | RE104 |
| Keywords | Cognitive science |
| Key points | RE104, a novel psychedelic prodrug, may offer a shorter-duration therapy session than psilocybin for treating adjustment disorder in cancer patients and postpartum depression. |
Abstract
Reunion Neuroscience , a start-up focused on mental health, has raised a $103 million series A round, co-led by MPM BioImpact and the Novo Nordisk Foundation's investment arm Novo Holdings. The company's lead asset, RE104, is a novel psychedelic that is being developed to treat adjustment disorder in cancer patients as well as postpartum depression. RE104 is a prodrug of 4-OH-DiPT, which acts on the serotonin 2A receptor in a manner similar to that of psilocybin. It is thought to improve neuroplasticity and the formation of new neural pathways. But its exact mechanism of action, like that of psilocybin, is unknown. According to Greg Mayes, Reunion's president and CEO, RE104 has a critical advantage over psilocybin: brevity. One session of psilocybin therapy takes about 6–8 hours of administration and monitoring, but one session of RE104 therapy should take half that time. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved only