Shawn Singh, CEO of Vistagen: Next-gen treatments for anxiety and depression disorders

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In this episode, Brandon sits down with Shawn Singh, CEO of Vistagen, to discuss a first-of-its-kind approach to treating mental health conditions. Vistagen is developing pherines, a new class of nasal spray treatments that work through nose-to-brain neural pathways, with the potential to provide fast-acting relief for conditions like social anxiety disorder and depression—without systemic exposure, weight gain, or addiction risk.

Key Takeaways:

• Mental health treatments haven’t changed in decades. Traditional antidepressants come with slow onset, side effects, and compliance challenges—patients need better options.
• Vistagen’s pherines offer a completely new approach. These nasal sprays use neural circuits to deliver rapid effects without entering the bloodstream, eliminating common side effects.
• First-ever Phase 3 success for acute treatment of social anxiety disorder. Vistagen’s lead drug, Fasedienol, showed rapid and significant anxiety reduction in a public speaking challenge study.
• Non-systemic treatments could change the future of medicine. Unlike traditional pills, pherines don’t require processing through the liver or bloodstream—reducing toxicity and drug interactions.
• This could be a once-in-a-generation shift in neuroscience. If successful, pherines could reshape treatment standards for mental health and beyond.