Lykos Therapeutics

Lykos Therapeutics is a San Jose, California-based neurotechnology and biopharmaceutical company operating at the forefront of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Formerly known as MAPS Public Benefit Corporation, the company is dedicated to developing MDMA-assisted therapy as a structured, clinically validated treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Their core therapeutic model pairs the administration of MDMA with a defined psychotherapy protocol, positioning the drug not as a standalone pharmaceutical but as a catalyst for deeper therapeutic engagement. This integrated drug-plus-therapy approach represents a fundamental rethinking of how mental health conditions are treated at the neurological and psychological level.

Lykos Therapeutics has completed Phase 3 clinical trials for MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, making it one of the most advanced programs in the psychedelic medicine pipeline. The trials demonstrated compelling efficacy results, with a significant proportion of participants no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD following treatment. The company submitted a New Drug Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, marking a historic milestone as one of the first psychedelic-assisted therapies to reach formal FDA review. Operating under a public benefit corporation structure and sustained through grant funding and mission-driven investment, Lykos has built its progress on decades of foundational research originally conducted under the nonprofit MAPS organization.

Lykos Therapeutics holds considerable significance for the broader neurotechnology industry as a proof-of-concept that rigorous, large-scale clinical development of psychedelic compounds is both scientifically credible and regulatorily achievable. Their work is helping to establish the frameworks, protocols, and evidentiary standards that other companies in the psychedelic medicine space will rely upon for years to come. At a time when traditional psychiatric treatments leave millions of patients with inadequate relief, Lykos represents a new class of neurotherapeutics that targets the underlying mechanisms of trauma rather than managing symptoms alone. Their progress is reshaping how investors, regulators, and clinicians think about the intersection of neuroscience, pharmacology, and psychotherapy.