Why Traditional Psychedelics Miss 90% of Neurology Patients - And The Solution

🧠 Beyond the Trip: Dr. Chris Witowski on Non-Hallucinogenic Psychedelics and the Future of Neurodegeneration

🎙️ Guest: Dr. Chris Witowski, CEO & Co-Founder, Psilera

“The first drug on the market is rarely the best one. The next generation removes side effects and reaches more patients.” – Dr. Chris Witowski

👋 Episode Overview

In this episode, Brandon Li sits down with Dr. Chris Witowski, chemist, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Psilera, a biotech company pioneering neuroplastogens—non-hallucinogenic psychedelic compounds designed to repair the brain without the trip.

Drawing from his background in natural-product chemistry and pharmaceutical cannabinoid research, Dr. Witowski explains how Psilera’s lead molecule, PSIL-006, a psilocybin-derived compound, may deliver rapid mood and cognitive benefits for patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and other neurodegenerative conditions. Together, they explore how psychedelics and neurology are converging, why non-hallucinogenic innovation is the next frontier, and what it will take to make psychedelic science truly scalable.

🧭 Top Takeaways

✅ Psychedelics go beyond mental health. Next-generation compounds hold promise in neurodegeneration—from dementia to Parkinson’s.
✅ Neuroplastogens retain the neuroplasticity benefits of psychedelics while eliminating hallucinogenic and safety concerns.
✅ Rapid-acting, durable treatments could reshape psychiatry and neurology—patients deserve relief in hours, not weeks.
✅ Objective biomarkers in neurodegeneration make translation more measurable than traditional psychiatric endpoints.
✅ The next wave is about accessibility. Drugs that can be taken at home, without intensive monitoring, will expand reach to millions.

🔑 Key Topics Covered

Guest Background

• Ph.D. in Natural Products Chemistry, with research focused on drug discovery from fungi and plants.
• Early career at AltMed, developing novel cannabinoid delivery technologies (transdermal patches, metered inhalers, and pharmaceutical formulations).
• Co-founded Psilera with Dr. Jackie von Salm to apply computational chemistry and preclinical neuroscience to psychedelic drug design.

The Problem He’s Solving

• Hallucinogenic limitations: Traditional psychedelics are poorly suited for vulnerable populations like dementia patients.
• The evidence gap: Public enthusiasm and decriminalization efforts outpaced scientific rigor.
• Access barriers: Psychedelic-assisted therapy models require hours of in-clinic supervision, limiting scalability.

Innovation & Contributions

• Developed PSIL-006, a modified psilocybin analog that preserves mood and cognitive benefits without hallucinatory effects.
• Demonstrated reversal of cognitive decline and improved sleep quality in preclinical models of tau-related dementia.
• Created a computational drug-design platform to accelerate discovery of safe, receptor-selective psychedelic analogs.
• Advocates for a model of psychedelic medicine that is clinically validated, digitally monitored, and broadly accessible.

Challenges & Barriers

• Proving that psychedelic experience is not required for therapeutic benefit remains the biggest scientific hurdle.
• Long timelines and variability in neurodegenerative trials demand efficient, biomarker-based endpoints.
• Overcoming skepticism from investors and Big Pharma requires clear translational data and reproducibility.

Vision for the Future

• Second-generation psychedelics (like PSIL-006) will define the next era of neuroscience innovation.
• At-home neuroplastogens will make psychedelic medicine scalable, safe, and routine.
• Pharma partnerships will bridge early-stage discovery with late-stage commercialization once efficacy is proven.
• Neuroscience will unify. Psychiatry, neurology, and immunology will merge under a systems-level understanding of brain health.

💬 Speaker Spotlights

On founding Psilera:

“When Spravato was approved, it opened the playbook. It proved the FDA was willing to approve untraditional molecules that work.”

On psychedelics in neurodegeneration:

“Ninety percent of dementia patients have mood disorders. If we can remove hallucinogenic effects and keep the benefits, we unlock a huge population of patients.”

On the importance of evidence:

“Development is about science, not hype. Public opinion should follow the data — not lead it.”

On neuroplasticity:

“Neuroplasticity is the common thread. If we can keep neurons connected longer, we can change the course of disease.”

On patient experience:

“Our goal is simple: take a medicine that works like psilocybin, but without the trip. Relief that fits into everyday life.”

💡 Keep Exploring

🎧 Listen to the full episode on:
👉 Spotify
👉 Apple Podcasts

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