Tactogen is a mission-based and research-driven pharmatech company that uses machine learning and targeted assays to identify promising new medicines and new treatments. We seek to understand and leverage the ability of novel small molecules to improve health in a variety of contexts, including anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders.

We're starting by developing entactogens (meaning “enabling touching within”). These medicines are a novel type of therapeutic that can act as catalysts for exploring challenging feelings without the normally accompanying self-criticism. The resulting emotional openness and honesty has potential to heal trauma and accelerate psychotherapy, decision-making, and psychological growth. The best known entactogen, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Midomafetamine), is being studied for several indications, including PTSD, Anxiety Disorders, and Substance Use Disorders. MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD was awarded Breakthrough Therapy status by the FDA and recently showed impressive results in the first of two planned Phase III trials sponsored by MAPS.org.

While most psychedelic medicines have 'mind blowing' qualities and require expensive clinical monitoring, we are designing our lead molecules to be gentler and safer, which we believe will allow them to be used more flexibly and in more settings.

Our initial activity has been dedicated to securing patents and evaluating candidate molecules. Evaluation includes in vitro functional measures of mechanisms and in vivo estimation of therapeutic potential. We maximize our productivity and impact by collaborating with select academic partners and contract research organizations.

Tactogen is dedicated to creating innovative, first-in-class medicines. The medicines we are developing represent more than isolated opportunities or single indications — we see them as representing broader platforms that enable us to uncover the factors that are central to sustained wellness. We believe that this work has potential to help most people. That’s our goal: Effective Prescription Mental Wellness. For Everyone.

We have four published patent applications and several unpublished applications covering different groups of new chemical entities as of late 2022. And we continue to make new discoveries. Our IP includes molecules, drug combinations, treatment methods, and pharmaceutical preparations. These primarily focus on the goal of enabling safer, gentler take-home prescription entactogens. We believe this will be a key to effective and accessible mental wellness for millions of people.

Because we focus on gentler molecules, we are necessarily discovering new molecules outside this area of focus that possess therapeutic promise. When these molecules offer significant advantages over available options, we will evaluate developing them, potentially in partnership with other organizations.