Cosmo Feilding Mellen, CEO of Beckley Psytech, said: “My life’s passion has been to unlock the therapeutic potential of psychedelics as I believe these compounds could help millions of people around the world. The progress Beckley Psytech has made in attracting exceptional talent to the team and advancing our ambitious clinical development programmes over the past two years has been tremendously exciting. As we embark on our next phase of growth, our strong syndicate of expert investors will support us in bringing much-needed innovative treatments to patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric conditions."
Cosmo was previous co-founder and managing director of Beckley Canopy Therapeutics, a cannabis-based drug development company, and Spectrum Biomedical UK, a medical cannabis distribution company. In 2019 both were sold to Canopy Growth Corporation, the world's largest medical cannabis company.
Jay Newmark, general partner of Integrated, added: “Cosmo and his dedicated team at Beckley Psytech have created an exceptional research and development platform. Their highly differentiated approach, which treats not only large indications such as depression but also rare indications such as SUNHA, is allowing accelerated access to market. We deeply appreciate our value alignment with this team and eagerly anticipate their progress in improving access to these medicines.”
Dr Amy Kruse, partner, Prime Movers Lab, said: “It is nearly impossible to find a team with more experience in developing psychedelic medicines for neurological conditions than the one at Beckley Psytech. The COVID-19 pandemic brought mental health to the public’s attention in a profound way. The excitement around psychedelics in the mental health market is very real because they are transformative medicines that will soon make their way into the lives of millions of people who desperately need them.”
Beckley Psytech was founded by Lady Amanda Feilding and Cosmo Feilding Mellen, who have found psychedelic medicines to be "a lifelong and inter-generational vocation"
Amanda has dedicated more than 50 years to the scientific exploration of psychedelics in the belief that modern science can be used to understand, validate, and optimise the healing potential of psychedelic medicines. In 1998 Amanda set up (and continues to run) the Beckley Foundation, a non-profit NGO focused on evidence-based drug policy reform and scientific research into psychedelic medicines.
Over the last 20 years the Beckley Foundation has become pioneered psychedelic research. Amanda has been dubbed “the hidden hand” behind the renaissance in psychedelic science, featured on the Guardian’s list of the Bravest Men and Women in the History of Science, and has co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed scientific publications on the subject.
