Shares of Enveric Biosciences (NASDAQ:ENVB) climbed 13.4% in premarket trading Thursday after the company unveiled new mechanistic insights into its lead candidate, EB-003, showing activation of two signaling pathways associated with antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based biotech firm reported that internal proprietary assays demonstrated EB-003 stimulates both Gq- and β-arrestin-mediated signaling downstream of the 5-HT₂A receptor. Enveric noted that prior peer-reviewed research has found activation of either pathway alone can generate antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like responses in preclinical models.
To better define EB-003’s intracellular activity, the company developed its own bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) assays after determining that commercially available tools were insufficient to accurately assess pathway-specific 5-HT₂A signaling.
Enveric also pointed to a recent independent study published in Nature, which further clarified signaling mechanisms linked to the 5-HT₂A receptor. That study found Gi signaling was necessary for hallucinogenic effects, while Gq signaling was tied to antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like outcomes in preclinical systems, indicating that therapeutic benefits and hallucinations may originate from separate cellular pathways.
“Growing mechanistic clarity around 5-HT₂A signaling strengthens confidence in the scientific foundation of our platform,” said Joseph Tucker, Ph.D., CEO of Enveric Biosciences. “Our proprietary BRET assay data show that EB-003 engages signaling pathways that prior peer-reviewed studies have linked to antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects in preclinical models.”
Enveric is advancing EB-003 as a non-hallucinogenic neuroplastogen designed to enable simplified treatment approaches, potentially including at-home use. The company continues to progress the candidate through studies required to support an Investigational New Drug (IND) application.