atai launches Revixia Life Sciences to develop Salvinorin A

12 August 2021

German CNS specialist atai Life Sciences has announced the launch of Revixia Life Sciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary developing Salvinorin A (SalA) to treat a variety of mental health disorders.

Derived from Salvia divinorum, SalA is a unique non-nitrogenous agonist of the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) with potential use in treatment-resistant depression (TRD), substance use disorder (SUD) and pain.

SalA is an atypical KOR agonist with a complex pharmacological profile. Its mechanism of action (MoA) shows no interaction at the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, which is the main molecular target for the classical hallucinogens such as psilocybin and LSD. Instead, it is hypothesized that SalA indirectly influences the cannabinoid system, as well as being an allosteric modulator of the µ opioid receptor.

This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.

Try before you buy

Free

7 day trial access

Take a Free Trial

All the news that moves the needle in pharma and biotech
Exclusive features, podcasts, interviews, data analyses and commentary from our global network of life sciences reporters.
Receive The Pharma Letter daily news bulletin, free forever.

Become a subscriber

£820

Or £77 per month

Subscribe Now

Unfettered access to industry-leading news, commentary and analysis in pharma and biotech.
Updates from clinical trials, conferences, M&A, licensing, financing, regulation, patents & legal, executive appointments, commercial strategy and financial results.
Daily roundup of key events in pharma and biotech.
Monthly in-depth briefings on Boardroom appointments and M&A news.
Choose from a cost-effective annual package or a flexible monthly subscription

The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed

Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK