Episode 75
🧬 Doug Drysdale - Cybin - Part 4 | The Challenges of Running a Public Company | Transforming Psychiatric Treatments Through Psychedelic Compounds | Developing Breakthrough Therapies in Depression & Anxiety
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.
The Biotech Startups Podcast · Excedr
September 5, 202428m 16s
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Show Notes
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Part 4 of 4.
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.
Join us this week and hear about:
- Doug’s first-time experience running a public company: the challenges of hitting quarterly numbers and juggling the pressure of share price volatility
- His move to Cybin, a startup transforming psychiatric treatments through psychedelic compounds
- Cybin’s recent progress, including some key acquisitions, taking the company public, and their breakthrough therapies in depression and anxiety.
Please enjoy my conversation with Doug Drysdale.
Timestamps:
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
Find Our Guest, Doug Drysdale, at these links:
Find Our Host, Jon Chee, at these links:
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Enriched Notes:
Topics Mentioned:
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
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.