Sept. 14, 2026
National Biotech Reporter
Elaine’s stories explore the boom in new obesity treatments, new drug payment models, the ways companies are affected by FDA changes, and the emerging psychedelics drug sector. She co-writesThe Readout newsletter, and co-hosts STAT’s weekly biotech podcast,The Readout Loud. You can reach Elaine on Signal at elaineywchen.70.
Definium Therapeutics said Monday that its LSD therapy helped patients with anxiety in a second late-stage trial, setting up the company to seek the first approval of a psychedelic drug for anxiety.
In the 12-week trial, patients taking a 100-microgram dose of the drug, called DT120, experienced a 9.8-point drop on a test called the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, while those on placebo experienced a 4.7-point drop. The difference of 5.1 points is similar to what was seen in Definium’sfirst late-stage anxiety studyand larger than what’s been observed with many other anxiety therapies, though it’s difficult to compare results across studies.
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Definium is among the first wave of biotechs nearing regulatory approval for psychedelic therapies, a class of treatments that may be especially attractive to patients since they appear to exert rapid benefits. (In the latest trial, Definium said patients experienced changes as early as the second day after dosing.) In contrast, the effects of traditional options like antidepressants take weeks to kick in.
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Elaine’s stories explore the boom in new obesity treatments, new drug payment models, the ways companies are affected by FDA changes, and the emerging psychedelics drug sector. She co-writesThe Readout newsletter, and co-hosts STAT’s weekly biotech podcast,The Readout Loud. You can reach Elaine on Signal at elaineywchen.70.
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