Therapeutic Areas
More than one billion people worldwide live with a mental health condition, and many struggle without an effective treatment option. We are committed to leading a new era of mental health treatment – one that offers not only relief from symptoms, but lasting change and a life full of possibility.
Depression
Depression (or major depressive disorder) is a common and serious mood condition that negatively affects how a person feels, thinks and acts. It is estimated that over 300 million people (World Health Organization, 2025) around the globe have depression and some studies suggest that, by 2030, depressive disorders are set to become the world’s leading cause of disability (The Economist, 2022).
Depression is primarily managed through a combination of lifestyle changes, talking therapies and medications, with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) being the most common drugs prescribed by doctors or physicians for the condition.
For some people living with depression, the currently available treatments work but for others, there can be limited efficacy and challenges that impact treatment adherence, including undesirable side effects and a slow onset of action. It is estimated that around a third of patients living with depression are resistant to multiple courses of available treatments (JAMA Psychiatry, 2023) and up to 60% of patients (Prim Health Care Res Dev, 2023) discontinue or switch their medication within 12 weeks due to side effects. This leaves a huge unmet need for more effective, well-tolerated and rapid-acting treatment options.
About our depression clinical development programs
We are investigating BPL-003, our novel synthetic intranasal formulation of mebufotenin benzoate, and VLS-01, our novel, synthetic buccal film formulation of DMT, as potential treatments for depression.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health conditions worldwide, affecting how one experiences worry, fear and anxiety in everyday situations (Mayo Clinic, 2025). Social anxiety disorder (SAD), which impacts 5–10% of the population (Cleveland Clinic, 2022), causes one to experience intense fear, self-consciousness and embarrassment in social interactions (Mayo Clinic, 2025). While there are treatment options, they are limited and not always effective.
About our SAD clinical development program
We are investigating EMP-01, our novel oral formulation of R-MDMA, as a potential treatment for SAD.