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Abbvie's Latest Acquisition Targets Gilgamesh's Psychedelic Drug to Treat Depression
AbbVie will pay up to $1.2 billion to acquire bretisilocin, a psychedelic drug showing significant antidepressant effects in Phase 2 trials for major depressive disorder.
AbbVie said on Monday it will acquire Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals' lead antidepressant bretisilocin for up to $1.2 billion, announced from North Chicago, Illinois and New York.
Amid nearly 300 million people living with depression, AbbVie's purchase builds on a 2024 collaboration and reflects its focus on expanding psychiatric treatment options.
Recent Phase 2a data showed bretisilocin achieved an 18.5-point reduction in MADRS at 24 hours and a-21.6 change at Day 14 versus-12.1 for a low-dose comparator.
AbbVie plans to advance bretisilocin toward late-stage clinical development while Gilgamesh will spin off Gilgamesh Pharma Inc. to retain staff and other programs, positioning AbbVie at the forefront of psychiatric care.
The deal underscores growing Big Pharma interest in psychedelics, as firms invest billions in next-generation psychedelic therapies despite last year's Cerevel Therapeutics trial failure.