Why the next generation of psychedelic compounds will likely be created by scientists—and how that can help patients with mental health conditions
None of the therapies in clinical development has yet been approved. The drug discovery and development process is notoriously long, and science needs to continue to innovate and create the next generation of psychedelic compounds, improving on what exists today.
By starting from scratch, medicinal chemists get to decide what collection of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties they want in a psychedelic compound. With existing psychedelics, we do not have this luxury, as their properties are already determined. Identifying the optimal profile is only the start. Once these properties have been identified, lab scientists have to develop that optimal molecule. Typically this is first done in our heads , or on a computer , then in the lab.
We in the lab can also develop compounds with specific polypharmacology — the activity of a molecule at different receptors. The brain’s 5-HT2A receptor is undoubtedly central to psychedelic activity, but other receptors are known to modulate 5-HT2A activity and contribute to the effects. If we take a musical analogy, the 5-HT2A receptor is the fundamental frequency and other receptors represent the overtones.
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