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Compass Pathways

Compass Pathways, or COMPASS Pathways, is a British pharmaceutical company developing psychedelics as potential medicines. Its main drug candidate, psilocybin (COMP360), has completed phase 3 clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression. The results showed clear benefit to participants as measured on the MADRS depression rating scale. This candidate has received breakthrough therapy status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It is the most advanced psychedelic drug candidate in development besides Lykos Therapeutics's midomafetamine (MDMA).

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Jun 9, 2026
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Compass Pathways
IndustryPharmaceutical; Psychedelic medicine
FoundedJune 13, 2016 (2016-06-13) in London, United Kingdom
FounderGeorge Goldsmith; Ekaterina Malievskaia
Headquarters
London
,
United Kingdom
Websitecompasspathways.com

Compass Pathways, or COMPASS Pathways, is a British pharmaceutical company developing psychedelics as potential medicines.123 Its main drug candidate, psilocybin (COMP360), has completed phase 3 clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression. The results showed clear benefit to participants as measured on the MADRS depression rating scale.412 This candidate has received breakthrough therapy status from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).1 It is the most advanced psychedelic drug candidate in development besides Lykos Therapeutics's midomafetamine (MDMA).2

Compass Pathways is the largest company in the psychedelic medicine industry5 and, in 2020, was the first psychedelic medicine company to be listed on the NASDAQ.1 It has faced criticism for patenting psychedelic drugs and even certain psilocybin mushroom species.15 In October 2024, after the FDA rejected Lykos Therapeutics's MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) New Drug Application (NDA), Compass Pathways said that it would lay off 30% of its workforce and narrow its research focus.6

Compass Pathways has entered partnerships with several independent psychedelic academic scientists, including Jason Wallach, Hamilton Morris, and Adam Halberstadt among others, to develop novel psychedelic drugs for potential medical use.789101112 Wallach's lab is said to have sought patents for over 200 novel compounds as of May 2024.11

Compass Pathways switched from being a nonprofit organization to a for-profit company in 2016.10 The pharmaceutical company has been backed and funded by a number of tech entrepreneurs such as Peter Thiel.5 The media outlet Sifted remarks that the biotech billionaire Christian Angermayer was instrumental in the founding of Compass Pathways."13

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Aday, Jacob S.; Barnett, Brian S.; Grossman, Dan; Murnane, Kevin S.; Nichols, Charles D.; Hendricks, Peter S. (1 September 2023). "Psychedelic Commercialization: A Wide-Spanning Overview of the Emerging Psychedelic Industry". Psychedelic Medicine. 1 (3): 150–165. doi:10.1089/psymed.2023.0013. ISSN 2831-4425. PMC 11661494.
  2. Rhee TG, Davoudian PA, Sanacora G, Wilkinson ST (December 2023). "Psychedelic renaissance: Revitalized potential therapies for psychiatric disorders". Drug Discov Today. 28 (12) 103818. doi:10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103818. PMID 37925136.
  3. Travers, Mark (8 July 2024). "A Synthetic Psychedelic Is Making Waves In Stubborn Depression Treatment—Here's What You Need To Know". Forbes. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  4. Goodwin, Guy (March 12, 2026). "COMP360 for Treatment-Resistant Depression: Insights on New Phase 3 Trials From Guy Goodwin, MD". Psychiatric Times. MJH Life Sciences. Retrieved 20 May 2026.
  5. Tvorun-Dunn M (December 2022). "Acid liberalism: Silicon Valley's enlightened technocrats, and the legalization of psychedelics". Int J Drug Policy. 110 103890. doi:10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103890. PMID 36279734.
  6. Jensen, Kristin (31 October 2024). "Compass delays anticipated psilocybin readout, cuts staff". BioPharma Dive. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  7. Semley, John (26 July 2022). "The High-Stakes Race to Engineer New Psychedelic Drugs". WIRED. Retrieved 28 January 2025.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. Wood, Sam (15 February 2021). "Envisioning a psychedelic future for Philadelphia's USciences as it pairs with Compass Pathways for a Drug Discovery Center". inquirer.com. Retrieved 28 January 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  9. Ben Seal (May 2024). "A Psychedelic Renaissance". Saint Joseph's University Magazine. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  10. Hausfeld, Russel; Nickles, David (September 22, 2021). "Hamilton Morris Hired by Psilocybin Startup COMPASS Pathways, Ends "Hamilton's Pharmacopeia" On Vice".
  11. "Psychedelic Compounds are Focus of USciences Lab". Newsroom. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  12. COMPASS Pathways (9 February 2021). "COMPASS Pathways expands its Discovery Center through new collaborations with world-leading scientists". GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
  13. Stothard, Michael (16 November 2020). "Brunch with Sifted: psychedelic investor Christian Angermayer". Sifted.
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