Compass Pathways is the largest company in the psychedelic medicine industry[5] and, in 2020, was the first psychedelic medicine company to be listed on the NASDAQ.[1] It has faced criticism for patenting psychedelic drugs and even certain psilocybin mushroom species.[1][5] In October 2024, after the FDA rejected Lykos Therapeutics's MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) New Drug Application (NDA), Compass Pathways said that it would lay off 30% of its workforce and narrow its research focus.[6]
Compass Pathways has entered partnerships with several independent psychedelic academic scientists, including Jason Wallach, Hamilton Morris, and Adam Halberstadt among others, to develop novel psychedelic drugs for potential medical use.[7][8][9][10][11][12] Wallach's lab is said to have sought patents for over 200novel compounds as of May 2024.[11]
Compass Pathways switched from being a nonprofit organization to a for-profit company in 2016.[10] The pharmaceutical company has been backed and funded by a number of tech entrepreneurs such as Peter Thiel.[5]
^ abcTvorun-Dunn M (December 2022). "Acid liberalism: Silicon Valley's enlightened technocrats, and the legalization of psychedelics". Int J Drug Policy. 110: 103890. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103890. PMID36279734.
