In an exclusive interview with The Fly, Silo Pharma (SILO) CEO Eric Weisblum and Vice President of R&D James Kuo talked about the company, its research, partnerships, pandemic-related impacts and much more.
INNOVATIVE APPROACH: Silo Pharma merges traditional therapeutics with psychedelic research to develop innovative solutions that address a variety of underserved conditions including Alzheimer’s, Fibromyalgia, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as PTSD and other debilitating chronic conditions. "We found that these conditions were underserved and there’s a great need of therapies to treat them," Silo Pharma’s Weisblum told The Fly.
"Traditional therapeutics haven’t really delivered for these conditions, such as depression and pain — there’s a huge underserved need. And with the opioid epidemic, these drugs are being very carefully controlled, leaving a huge window of opportunity for new therapies to be delivered. Psychedelic research is one of the hottest areas – not only psychedelics but also Ketamine as well. Conditions like pain or Alzheimer’s are really underserved and we think the best approach is to merge traditional therapeutics with psychedelic. A lot of people think of it as an ‘either or’ but we think it’s much more powerful when you combine the two together," James Kuo, VP of R&D, explained.
PARTNERSHIPS: Silo has partnered with several academic institutions, like Columbia University and University of Maryland Baltimore, to facilitate a streamlined regulatory pathway for drug approval. "The first advantage of partnering with them is that they already had some technology, which was developed with proof of concept in preclinical work. It’s not unusual for a reputable university to look for a partnership that can provide the financing and the ability to take it from the preclinical all the way through the clinical process," Weisblum said.
"Cutting edge research, that’s the role of these universities. They are further ahead than even pharmaceutical companies and they are taking a lot more risks. We’re just a little bit earlier than pharmaceutical companies in terms of working with the universities. This makes companies like Pfizer [PFE] and Bristol Myers [BMY] much more comfortable to jump in and further collaborate. They just don’t want to take that initial risk and that’s something we can do. [These universities] have the best programs out there, funded by grants. We can just jump in and to the late preclinical and clinical research with them," Kuo further explained.
ADDITIONAL DATA IN EARLY 2023: Silo Pharma has several studies in preclinical and clinical stages, with its current assets having shown promise in a range of illnesses and diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and stress-induced psychiatric disorders. "[The company’s ongoing studies] are meeting expectations, and the science and the studies are ongoing. It would be reasonable in early 2023 to have some updates on the additional work that has been done right now," Silo’s CEO said.
COVID-RELATED IMPACT: Discussing COVID-related impacts with The Fly, Weisblum said that "COVID didn’t necessarily impact us directly but in some animal studies, lab and academics there were some pauses, some shutdowns and some delays in getting the research programs underway. Now we see everything back fully staffed and don’t see any impact currently.”
INCREASE SHAREHOLDER VALUE: Silo Pharma has recently up listed to the Nasdaq "with a very good balance sheet, no debt, a lot of good partnerships, collaborations," according to CEO Weisblum. The executive says the company continues to "look forward to bringing some positive therapeutic data to the market and increase shareholder value."
"Meet the Company" is The Fly’s recurring series of exclusive short interviews with Executive Officers to offer a deeper look inside the company.
Published first on TheFly
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