🧬 Doug Drysdale - Cybin - Part 4 | The Challenges of Running a Public Company | Transforming Psychiatric Treatments Through Psychedelic Compounds | Developing Breakthrough Therapies in Depression & Anxiety

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Part 4 of 4. 

My guest for this week’s episode is Doug Drysdale, CEO at Cybin. Cybin is a clinical-stage biopharma company on a mission to create safe and effective psychedelic-based therapeutics. 

Doug is an experienced investor, Corporate Director and CEO, who has chaired the Board of a NASDAQ-listed company and, as a CEO for the past 12 years, has built and turned around 3 pharma companies. During his 30+ years of experience in the healthcare sector, he has formed cohesive management teams, recruited board members, completed 16 corporate acquisitions across three continents and has raised and invested around $4 billion of both public and private capital. 

Before Cybin, Doug was Commercial Products Manager at DuPont Merck, Director of BD at Elan, VP of M&A at Actavis Group, CEO of Norwich Pharmaceuticals and Alvogen, CEO of Pernix Therapeutics, and CEO of Tedor Pharma. His extensive background as a seasoned executive, investor, and turn-around specialist gives him a wide range of experiences that founders can learn from. 

Please enjoy my conversation with Doug Drysdale.

00:28 Intro

01:50 Doug’s first experience running a public company, Pernix Therapeutics

06:51 Leaving Pernix for a private company and a break from public scrutiny

08:22 Joining Cybin, going public, and raising $300MM; quickly developing therapy and IP assets

11:34 Cybin’s mission and focus; the co-founders and the team behind the technology

15:08 The DEA’s outlook on psychedelics and the development of SSRI alternatives

17:26 Doug’s experience working with the FDA

19:39 Cybin’s IP and partnership strategies; building out a core team and retaining talent

24:00 Cybin’s 2-year vision

24:58 Shoutouts and advice to 21-year old self

26:37 Outro

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Podcast Website: https://www.thebiotechstartupspodcast.com/ 

Pernix Therapeutics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pernix_Therapeutics_Holdings

Cybin: https://cybin.com/

Intellectual Property 101: https://www.excedr.com/resources/intellectual-property-guide

SSRIs: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/ssris/art-20044825

Psychedelic Compounds for Therapies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592297/

Pharmacokinetics: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557744/

Understanding Psilocybin and DMT Treatments for Depression: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/2022/02/psilocybin-treatment-for-major-depression-effective-for-up-to-a-year-for-most-patients-study-shows

Cybin’s Developmental Pipeline: https://cybin.com/development-pipeline/

DEA’s outlook on psychedelics: https://www.cato.org/regulation/spring-2023/psychedelics-dea-regulating-religion

Guide to FDA Drug Approval Process: https://www.excedr.com/blog/fda-drug-approval-process-guide 

IP Strategy for Biotechs: https://www.excedr.com/resources/intellectual-property-strategy-for-biotechs

Biotech Partnerships: https://www.excedr.com/blog/how-biotech-partnerships-support-research

The Biotech Startups Podcast gives you a front-row seat to the business and science of building a biotech. Hosted by Jon Chee, CEO of Excedr, the show features honest conversations with founders, execs, and investors about their work, their companies, and how they got there. From scientific breakthroughs to startup lessons, each episode explores what it really takes to grow a life science company—from pre-seed to IPO.