Ceruvia’s new funding will support clinical testing of an LSD-derived treatment for a painful neurological disorder.
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A Greenwich biotechnology company has raised $8 million to fund the next stage of clinical development for an experimental treatment targeting cluster headaches, a rare neurological disorder known for causing severe pain.
Ceruvia Lifesciences said the founder-backed financing will fully fund an integrated Phase 1/2 clinical trial of its lead drug candidate, BOL-148, an experimental drug based on an LSD-derived compound that is designed to provide therapeutic benefits without causing hallucinations.
The study will first evaluate the drug's safety in healthy volunteers before testing it in patients with cluster headaches to assess its safety, effectiveness, appropriate dosage and how long any benefits last.
The company expects to submit an application to begin the trial in Germany in September, with participant enrollment planned for the fourth quarter. Initial data from the Phase 1 portion of the study are expected in the second quarter of 2027, after which the trial would advance to the Phase 2 portion, the company said.
Founder and CEO Carey Turnbull said the financing allows Ceruvia to evaluate the drug's safety and therapeutic potential within a single clinical study after spending the past two years refining the program's scientific and development strategy.
Cluster headache, sometimes called the "suicide headache" because of its severity, has limited treatment options, particularly for patients with the chronic form of the condition, according to Ceruvia.
Founded in 2017, the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company develops treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorder, through research partnerships with Yale, NYU and Harvard medical schools.
