Adam JacksonClearmind Medicine Inc. (NASDAQ: CMND) (CSE: CMND) received approval from Israel’s Ministry of Health to begin a phase I/IIa clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CMND-100, an oral medication aimed at treating alcohol use disorder (AUD).
The drug, based on the substance 5-methoxy-2-aminoindane (MEAI), is designed to provide a new treatment option for AUD without the hallucinogenic side effects typically associated with psychedelic drugs.
MEAI, which has been dubbed a “binge mitigating agent,” is a psychoactive compound of the aminoindane class. In recent years, it “has been recreationally used by many people, who reported of a mild euphoric, alcohol-like tipsy experience and reduced desire to consume alcoholic beverages,” according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
“This is the most important milestone for the company to date and marks our transition to a clinical- stage pharmaceutical company,” CEO Adi Zuloff-Shani said in a statement.
The clinical trial will be conducted in collaboration with professor Mark Weiser at the Sheba Medical Center, which is located in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan. It will also include additional sites in the United States at the Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Researchers will focus on determining the drug’s pharmacokinetic properties, safety, and its potential to reduce alcohol cravings and consumption in individuals diagnosed with moderate-to-severe AUD.
The active ingredient in CMND-100, MEAI, has shown promise in preclinical studies for its ability to reduce the desire to consume alcohol while providing a mild, euphoric experience. By targeting specific brain receptors involved in the regulation of alcohol intake and dependency, Clearmind’s approach could offer a new pathway for individuals seeking treatment for AUD.
