Dr. Dalibor Sames is a professor of chemistry at Columbia University, where he runs an independent research program dedicated to studying and developing drugs that induce neuroplasticity. After developing what he describes as “aesthetic admiration” for the molecular structure of ibogaine, Dr. Sames began studying ibogaine and iboga alkaloids, and soon after went on to develop ibogaine analogues as novel therapeutics. He is working to develop these drugs further as the co-founder of two start-up pharmaceutical companies, Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals (which recently signed a deal to collaborate with AbbVie) and KURES. 

 What we discuss: 

• Dr. Sames’ aesthetic admiration for ibogaine

• “New chemical entities:” Why create analogs to ibogaine? Do we need them?

• The unique molecular structure of ibogaine

• Ibogaine’s mechanism of action: how it compares to other psychedelics

• How small changes in the structure of ibogaine lead to significant differences in its pharmacology

• Oxa-ibogaine: potential safety and efficacy

• Ibogaine as a teacher and gate opener

• Collaborating with big pharma: Is ‘the trip’ necessary?

Why it’s important: 

For as long as psychedelic drugs have re-entered the mainstream, the question has been posed: why spend time and money developing alternatives to psychedelics when we can spend that time and money studying the ones we already use? (It’s a question the host of our show has asked herself many times.) In this episode, Dr. Dalibor Sames makes a great case for developing ibogaine analogues, especially with regard to the cardiac risks associated with the drug. Dr. Sames also describes ibogaine in a way we haven’t heard before on this show, detailing the many complexities of the molecule and explaining how a simple change to its structure (such as swapping its nitrogen indole for oxygen) can have a massive impact on its effects.

Relevant Links:

• Dr. Dalibor Sames’ Bio
• The Sames Research Group
• Experimental Therapeutics, Basic Science and Drug Development (Sames Group)
• Gilgamesh Pharmaceutical
• AbbVie and Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Announcement (May 13, 2024)
• Novel Class of Psychedelic Iboga Alkaloids Disrupts Opioid Use