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We have been in the area of drug discovery for over 20 years. We specialise in psychoactive drugs, including amphetamine substitution drugs, cannabinoids, psychedelics, empathogens etc. Our team members invested heavily in developing an internationally recognised regulatory system to pave the way for psychoactive drug development in New Zealand, and as a result we were among the first to build specific psychoactive drug research labs. Our process incorporates advances in AI technology for drug discovery, coupled with a proprietary ‘receptor on a chip’ rapid screening platform to give us a robust R&D pipeline.
The regulatory system we developed allows us to run an R & D laboratory for custom synthesis of novel psychoactive compounds for research purposes. The new lab slated for build in 2023 is modular in design and has capabilty to easily add additional projects, including scale up from R&D to batch size orders. Talk to us about your custom synthesis needs, whether you have a series of molecules in mind, or you need custom design consultation.
Traditionally drug effects are measured by receptor binding affinity studies, screening molecules against receptor proteins on the surface of a cell. This gives some indication of activity, but the level of accuracy is not reliable enough due to the protein acting differently outside its environment. We have access to a proprietary ‘receptor on a chip’ system which more accurately models the receptor behaviour in situ giving a more reliable result.
Psilocybin mushrooms have been used by indigenous cultures for millennia for their therapeutic and mystical benefits. Western cultures have been denied this natural gift due to fear and taboo. Now, science has rediscovered its potential, and modern man is gaining access to this ancient tool.
Research is showing microdosing LSD (taking tiny amounts) to have powerful benefits, but the potential for overdose makes it unlikely to be allowed for public use. BioPharm have developed similar products with a ceiling level of effect to prevent overdose.
Ketamine is a popular surgical anaesthetic found to have mental health benefits, such as relief of treatment resistant depression, but is toxic to bladder. BioPharm team have worked on a number of improvements to this molecule.
MDMA is fast becoming a popular medicine for a variety of symptoms, but is toxic to heart and brain. BioPharm's EASE project has safer alternatives under development.
Stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine are widely used in the community but can have devastating consequences. Developing substitution drugs with less risk is becoming an attractive policy solution and we are working on the technology to get there.