Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
December 04, 2025
BetterLife Pharma's Non-Hallucinogenic LSD Derivative Targets Brain Disorders
TLDR
- BetterLife Pharma's BETR-001 offers a competitive edge with its non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative that can be self-administered without regulatory hurdles for chronic treatment.
- BETR-001 works as a non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative that maintains neuroplastogenic effects at full doses without inducing tolerance, enabling chronic administration for neurological disorders.
- BETR-001 could improve lives by providing accessible, effective treatment for traumatic brain injury, migraines, and psychiatric disorders without hallucinogenic side effects.
- BetterLife Pharma is developing BETR-001, a unique non-hallucinogenic LSD derivative that avoids the limitations of traditional psychedelic treatments while targeting multiple neurological conditions.
Impact - Why it Matters
This development matters because it addresses critical limitations in current psychedelic-based therapies for mental health and neurological conditions. Traditional treatments often require controlled, clinical settings due to hallucinogenic effects, creating barriers to access, high costs, and logistical challenges for patients. BETR-001's non-hallucinogenic profile could revolutionize treatment by enabling at-home administration, expanding availability, and potentially reducing healthcare burdens. For millions suffering from treatment-resistant depression, TBI, migraines, and cluster headaches—conditions with significant unmet needs—this innovation offers hope for more effective, convenient, and scalable solutions. It also reflects a broader trend in biotech toward safer, patient-centric drug development, potentially accelerating acceptance and integration of novel compounds into mainstream medicine.
Summary
BetterLife Pharma Inc., an emerging biotechnology company trading on the CSE as BETR and on the OTCQB as BETRF, is advancing its proprietary drug candidate BETR-001, a non-hallucinogenic derivative of LSD. The company's announcement comes in the wake of recent Phase 2 trial results indicating that LSD microdosing is ineffective for depression, positioning BETR-001 as a superior alternative. According to CEO Dr. Ahmad Doroudian, the critical advantage of BETR-001 is its ability to be administered at full, effective doses without inducing hallucinations, a significant hurdle with traditional psychedelics that require specialized clinic settings and lengthy monitoring sessions. This key differentiator, supported by a previous publication, means the compound does not induce tolerance with repeated use and can be dosed on a chronic basis, maintaining its neuroplastogenic effects.
The company is currently completing Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies and plans to file the IND to begin human clinical trials in the second half of 2026. BetterLife's initial development targets for BETR-001 include Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), cluster headaches, and migraine, with potential future exploration for a broad range of psychiatric disorders. The drug's synthesis patent eliminates regulatory hurdles, and its pending composition and method-of-use patent provides coverage until around 2042. Additionally, BetterLife owns another drug candidate for viral infections and is seeking strategic alternatives for its development. For further information, interested parties can visit BetterLife Pharma via the provided link.
This news highlights a pivotal shift in the development of psychedelic-derived therapeutics, moving away from the limitations of microdosing and hallucinogenic side effects. By offering a treatment that patients can potentially self-administer without the need for intensive clinical supervision, BetterLife Pharma aims to democratize access to next-generation mental health and neurological treatments. The company's progress represents a significant step toward making innovative therapies more practical and accessible for conditions that have long challenged medical science.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, BetterLife Pharma's Non-Hallucinogenic LSD Derivative Targets Brain Disorders
