Eleusis Announces Published Research on Potential of Serotonin 2A Receptor Agonists to Treat Inflammation

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Eleusis, a clinical stage life science company established to develop the therapeutic potential of serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT_2A) agonists, also known as psychedelics, today announced new research published in Elsevier’s Life Sciences that demonstrates the anti-inflammatory properties of 5-HT_2A agonists in a translational model of chronic asthma, a disease characterized by chronic allergic inflammatory response.

The publication, titled “5-HT₂ Receptor Activation Alleviates Airway Inflammation and Structural Remodeling in a Chronic Mouse Asthma Model” shows the anti-inflammatory properties of 5-HT_2A receptor agonists in a new mouse model of chronic asthma. The study highlights the capacity of 5-HT_2A agonists to reverse airways hyperresponsiveness, a hallmark symptom of chronic asthma, in addition to reducing associated pulmonary inflammation and mucus overproduction. The study also reveals the capability of 5-HT_2A agonists to reverse airway structural remodeling.

These data show that 5-HT_2A agonists are efficacious to treat and rescue pre-existing inflammation, in addition to prevention of inflammation, and that their therapeutic effects may extend beyond inflammation. Notably, in the mouse model of chronic asthma, the study observed a 70% reduction in asthma-induced collagen deposition, which is associated with pulmonary fibrosis. Reduced asthma-induced collagen deposition is not observed in conjunction with systemic immunosuppression, further supporting the potential of 5-HT_2A agonists as steroid-sparing alternatives for the treatment of chronic inflammatory disease.

“Our research with serotonin 5-HT_2A receptor agonists suggest that they may represent a new strategy to treat ongoing and chronic inflammatory disease, and I am encouraged by these data that further our understanding of their therapeutic potential in a translational model of asthma,” said Charles Nichols Ph.D., the lead author of the study and Professor of Pharmacology at the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans.

“These exciting new findings, in combination with the recently published results of our sponsored research in Scientific Reports, which revealed the anti-inflammatory properties of 5-HT_2A agonists in cardiovascular disease, further validate the transformative potential of our proprietary 5-HT_2A agonist pipeline to address urgent unmet needs across a broad spectrum of chronic inflammatory disease.” said Shlomi Raz, Chairman and Founder of Eleusis. “We look forward to advancing our lead candidate ELE-02 into clinical trials, and the further development of 5-HT_2A agonists into front line anti-inflammatories.”

About Eleusis Ltd.

Eleusis is a privately-held, clinical stage life science company, established to unlock the transformative potential of psychoactive drugs, through the mitigation and management of psychoactivity. The company is developing an innovative platform of drug discovery and digital health technologies enabling the advance of therapeutics targeting urgent unmet needs across a broad spectrum of inflammatory and stress related diseases.

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