Business Trip

Greg and Matias interview Josh Hardman, founder and editor of Psychedelic Alpha, to discuss the recent FDA advisory committee meeting on Lykos Therapeutics’ MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD.

Josh is a leading writer covering the intersection of psychedelics and business. He provided live reporting and analysis of the AdComm meeting.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The FDA advisory committee process and its implications for drug approvals
• Functional unblinding and expectancy effects in psychedelic clinical trials
• Potential impacts on the broader psychedelic medicine industry
• The future of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy protocols
• Neuroplastogen development and non-hallucinogenic approaches
• Challenges around therapy, safety, and regulatory pathways for psychedelic medicines

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Software, hardware, and biotechnology are playing an increasingly transformative role in our mental health and wellness. Join us as we discuss what investors look for in these new companies and how they separate what’s real — and what’s near-term — from what’s hype. We’ll explore AI-powered tools for mental health, the new area of “enerceuticals” (energy replacing the “pharma”), psychedelics, and why what’s in your gut is so important to your mental state. Hear from investors who have a wide view of this growing startup landscape and better understand which new ventures are likely to succeed.

This is a live panel from South by South West 2024 with panelists Matias Serebrinsky of PsyMed Ventures and Business Trip and Amy Kruse of Satori Capital, moderated by Christie Nicholson of Studio For Communicating Complexity and Dan Blumberg of Modern Product Minds and the CRAFTED. podcast.

For more on CRAFTED., Dan's Webby-honored podcast featuring founders and leaders discussing what it really takes to build incredible products and companies, listen here: crafted.fm 

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Matias hosted a panel at The Battery SF with renowned psychedelics experts, Nolan Williams, Allison Feduccia, Matt Baggott.

Nolan is a Stanford professor currently researching ibogaine among other areas in psychiatry and radiology, and he's a founder of TMS company Magnus Medical. Allison is the founder of Psychedelic Support, a platform providing psychedelic education, community and a provider directory. And Matt is founder and CEO of Tactogen, a biotech company developing compounds similar to MDMA.

In this episode, we discuss…

• The effects and mechanisms of different psychedelics (MDMA, psilocybin, ibogaine)
• The role of therapy/support during psychedelic experiences
• Scalability, accessibility, and optimal therapeutic use
• Digital solutions, new care models, and policy changes 

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Matias interviews Lili Brillstein about how to work collaboratively with healthcare payers (the ones that reimburse for medical expenses).

Lili is a pioneer in the field, having previously led one of the largest bundled payment initiatives at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. She currently is the founder of her own advisory firm, BCollaborative, where she helps startups and providers develop value propositions that resonate with payers and create models that can be successfully administered. 

In this episode, they discuss:

• What payers want and their key priorities
• Strategies to communicate startup value propositions to payers
• The role of interim successes for chronic conditions
• How to align payers, providers, and startups
• Fee-for-service vs. value-based care models

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Greg and Matias interview Ed Boyden about neuroscience frontiers and its applications to mental health.

Ed is a pioneer in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of the brain. He runs a lab at MIT for Synthetic Neurobiology and is a professor across the departments of neurotechnology, biological engineering, and cognitive science at MIT’s McGovern Institute for Brain Research. His inventions include optogenetic tools and expansion microscopy. He is co-founder of Cognito Therapeutics, Elemind, TI Solutions, and Synlife, and scientific advisor to several other companies.

In this episode, we discuss…

• Academia vs. startups for neuroscience advancement
• Evaluating data vs intuition to assess new technologies
• Breakthroughs like optogenetics and expansion microscopy
• How to translate neurotech into companies/commercialization
• Approaches for clearly communicating and "storytelling" complex science.

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Greg and Matias interview Steve Rio about 5-MeO-DMT and its potential role in mental healthcare. 

Steve is a social impact cofounder, transformational coach, and practitioner at the Enfold Institute, one of the most reputable aboveground retreat centers working with 5-MeO-DMT. He shared many insights from his hands-on experience guiding hundreds of people through the medicine.

In this episode, we discuss…

• 5-MeO-DMT’s distinct psychedelic experience
• Enfold’s protocol of screening, preparation and integration
• Why high doses may not fit into the mainstream medical model
• 5-MeO's intense somatic release and non-dual experience
• The future of 5-MeO research and drug development

More information on Enfold Institute here: enfold.org

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

Tom Insel is an entrepreneur and former director of the US National Institute of Mental Health, the lead US agency supporting mental health research with a $2 billion budget. Since his time at the NIMH, Tom has built mental health technology, first at Verily and Mindstrong Health, and more recently founded Vanna Health, an online healthcare provider for serious mental illness.

In his book "Healing", he talks about the importance of the 3 P's for solving the US mental health crisis: People, Place, and Purpose. Greg & Matias interview Tom on Business Trip to discuss the 4th "P": Payment. "We have to figure out how to pay for this", he says.

In this episode, we discuss…

• Psychedelics in the healthcare system
• Are antidepressants overprescribed? 
• AI in mental health
• Tom’s learnings from almost starting a VC fund

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

What if your next antidepressant was a clam or spinach?

Greg & Matias invite Dr. Drew Ramsey to explore nutritional psychiatry - a field exploring how the food we eat can be as powerful as medication in treating mental illnesses like depression and anxiety.

Dr. Drew Ramsey is a psychiatrist, entrepreneur and author focusing on nutritional interventions for mental wellbeing. Drew shares scientific research to make a business case for nutritional psychiatry - how customized food interventions could reduce healthcare costs for conditions like depression and anxiety. 

We debunk common myths around nutrition and mental health and envision a future where psychedelics and fermented foods may be first-line treatments. Ramsey offers simple diet tweaks you can make today for improved mental fitness.

In this episode, we discuss…

• How nutritional psychiatry can be a cost-effective mental health treatment
• Why doctors need more nutritional education to prescribe food as medicine 
• What startups and opportunities there are in this space 
• What foods and nutrients are best for your mental health

Tune into the episode to learn more!

Credits:

Created by Greg Kubin and Matias Serebrinsky
Host: Matias Serebrinsky & Greg Kubin
Produced by Jonathan A. Davis,  Nico V. Rey & Caitlin Ner

Find us at businesstrip.fm and psymed.ventures
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter!
Theme music by Dorian Love
Additional Music: Distant Daze by Zack Frank

• The powerful personal story behind Jan's passion for this field
• The science and mechanistic details behind metabolic psychiatry
• Misconceptions about mental health and diets
• Challenges to mainstream adoption
• Business opportunities in metabolic interventions

Advancements in neuroscience, AI, and bioengineering are unlocking new possibilities for neurotechnologies. Investors are paying attention.

Alex Morgan of Khosla Ventures is an MD, PhD, physicist, and one of the most active investors in neurotech startups. He's backed companies harnessing neuromodulation for varied applications - from sleep (Somnee) to depression (Flow) to motor recovery (Syncron). 

In this episode, Alex shares an insider's overview of the neurotech landscape. We discuss when neurotech solutions make more sense than traditional pharma. Alex reveals which brain technologies excite him most, and why.

We also unpack key business strategy questions. When should startups pursue the consumer route versus FDA approval? What does Alex look for in neurotech founders on the cutting edge?

This episode is for founders, investors, clinicians, and researchers interested in understanding the cutting edge of neurotech and how it will become an integral part to the future of our mental health.