Psychedelics have emerged as a promising ally in the battle to tackle the growing mental health crisis, Dr Sahil Kirpekar Chief Business Officer at atai Life Sciences tells Healthcare World
The global dialogue on mental health has undergone a profound evolution, marked by increased awareness and understanding of conditions like depression, anxiety and addiction.
It’s a conversation that resonates deeply with Dr. Kirpekar, who recognizes the far-reaching impact of these disorders on individuals and their communities. Dr. Sahil Kirpekar is the Chief Business Officer at atai Life Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on mental health conditions. Dr. Kirpekar joined atai in 2022 after 15 years in the healthcare industry, including more than eight years at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd, most recently as Global Head of Business Development.
As atai’s Chief Business Officer Dr. Sahil Kirpekar is responsible for portfolio strategy, capital allocation and investments and early commercial planning. He does this while navigating the intricate intersection of science and business strategy to address the pressing challenges of mental health conditions such as treatment-resistant depression, schizophrenia, and opioid use disorder (OUD).
The changing conversation
Drawing from a pivotal study by Harvard Medical School and the University of Queensland, Dr. Kirpekar underscores a stark reality: one in every two people worldwide will grapple with a mental health condition in their lifetime. It’s a statistic that underscores the urgent need for transformative approaches to treatment and care.
Contrary to its historical stigma, psychedelics have emerged as a promising ally in the battle to tackle the growing mental health crisis. Dr. Kirpekar is a firm advocate of the potential of psychedelic compounds, referencing the meticulous clinical trials conducted by atai and others within the space, and driven by strong clinical data.
The future of mental health
atai’s journey in revolutionizing mental health care stems from a deep-seated commitment to innovation and collaboration. Founded with a vision to address the diverse and complex landscape of neuropsychiatric disorders, atai has played a pivotal role in advancing psychedelic medicine. Integral to this mission is the strategic partnership with ventures like Compass Pathways and Beckley Psytech, which has propelled the development of psychedelic compounds such as COMP360 (psilocybin).
The landscape of psychedelic medicine experienced a paradigm shift in 2014 with the breakthrough designation of esketamine (Spravato) by the FDA. Dr. Kirpekar highlights this pivotal moment as a catalyst for redefining perceptions around psychedelics, paving the way for transformative treatments like Spravato.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to tackling mental health, and atai’s pipeline acknowledges the heterogeneity of neuropsychiatric patient populations.
Central to atai’s endeavors are evidencebased programmes targeting treatmentresistant conditions with substantial unmet needs, such as treatment-resistant depression. Moreover, atai’s foray into addressing OUD by unlocking the potential of its program IBX-210 (ibogaine) underscores the company’s commitment to tackling multifaceted challenges in mental health care.
One of atai’s immediate focuses is short-duration psychedelics such as VLS-01 (DMT), BPL-003 (5-MeO-DMT), and ELE-101 (psilocin) that have the potential to fit within a 2-hour treatment window, as established by Spravato.
While atai’s focus is primarily on psychedelic compounds, it also has a nonpsychedelic program in its portfolio. The program, RL-007, is being developed for the cognitive impairment seen in schizophrenia patients, for which there is currently no FDA-approved treatment. Treatment for schizophrenia primarily focuses on managing psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, usually with antipsychotic medications. However, cognitive symptoms, which can include problems with memory, attention, and executive functions, do not have adequate treatment options.
atai is committed to shaping the future of mental health care by developing innovative, rapid-acting, and durable treatments — to create a world where healing is within reach for everyone affected by mental health challenges.