Shares of companies involved in psychedelic-tied therapies surged Monday trading after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to expedite research and access.
U.S.-traded shares of Compass Pathways Plc spiked as much as 53% while AtaiBeckley Inc. surged by 37%. GH Research PLC jumped 34% and Definium Therapeutics, Inc. rallied 16%. The AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF (PSIL) also climbed as much as 20% — touching its highest intraday level since July 2023.
The new order directs the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue expedited review vouchers to psychedelics with a so-called breakthrough designation, shortening the review time to one to two months from six to ten months. AtaiBeckley, Definium and Compass Pathways all have therapies with breakthrough status.
For Wall Street, the latest development marks a turning point for the industry that's long waited for a breakout moment. Analysts see the support for psychedelics from the highest level of the U.S. government as helping to ease the approval pathway for drug developers.
The signing of the order is "a substantial step towards diminishing regulatory risk in this emerging class of therapies, enabling investor comfort," RBC Capital Markets analyst Brian Abrahams wrote in a note to clients. "While not explicitly recommending psychedelics, the nature of the executive order strongly suggests a broad openness to psychedelics."
Trump's order also directed the FDA to give new guidance to researchers on ibogaine, a psychedelic compound extracted from the iboga plant in Africa that's used to treat depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder for military veterans. While the order doesn't reclassify the drug for medical use, Trump urged the health professionals to reclassify it quickly.
The order follows an industry setback in 2024 when U.S. regulators rejected an MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD from Lykos Therapeutics Inc., citing the quality of research and questions over the clinical trial design.
"With several executive branches aligned, investor mindshare should rise meaningfully ahead of potential approvals in 2027-2030," Jefferies analyst Andrew Tsai wrote in a note.
(Adobe Stock)
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