Atai Life Sciences Reports Q1 2023 Financial Results and Updates on Clinical Trials

LOS ANGELES– Atai Life Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, released its financial results for the first quarter of 2023, along with updates on corporate developments. The company’s cash reserves decreased from $273.1 million in December 2022 to $249.9 million at the end of Q1, mainly due to net cash used in operating activities and loans to related parties.

In terms of net loss, Atai reported a slight improvement, with a net loss of $33.1 million in Q1 compared to a net loss of $36.9 million in the same period last year. Research and development expenses increased by $3.8 million, primarily driven by higher contract research organization expenses and personnel costs.

On the other hand, general and administrative expenses dropped to $14 million, a $4 million decrease from the same period the previous year. This reduction was mainly attributed to lower VAT and other nonincome taxes, stock-based compensation, accounting and legal fees, and personnel-related costs.

Florian Brand, co-founder and CEO of Atai, emphasized the company’s commitment to its vision of healing mental health disorders to improve the lives of individuals worldwide. Brand also announced that the first patient was dosed with Atai’s RL-007 in a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 study during the past quarter.

In addition to RL-007, Atai is conducting trials on two other drugs: GRX-917, aimed at treating anxiety disorders without sedative side effects, and VLS-01, which utilizes DMT to address severe depression unresponsive to other treatments.

Atai is also actively working on COMP360, a treatment utilizing psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) to tackle severe depression, anorexia nervosa, and PTSD. The company expects significant results from the COMP360 trials by summer 2024.

These financial results follow Atai’s workforce reduction in March, which resulted in a 30% reduction in staff. The layoffs were part of the company’s efforts to reallocate capital towards funding near-term projects. Brand reiterated that these measures will sustain the company’s operations through the first half of 2026, with most savings coming from labor cuts in nonclinical development and general administrative expenses.

Although Atai’s phase 2a clinical trial results for ketamine therapy to treat depression did not meet the primary endpoint in January, Brand remains optimistic about the company’s progress and looks forward to further advancements in ongoing studies.

As Atai continues to push forward with its clinical trials and development of innovative mental health treatments, it remains dedicated to making a positive impact in the field of mental health and improving patient outcomes.