Topic: How To Invest

Q: Compass Pathways looks to be in an interesting new market for magic mushroom drugs. What do you think of the shares as an investment? Thank you.

Article Excerpt

A: Compass Pathways plc (ADR), $36.19, symbol CMPS on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 36.7 million; Market cap: $1.4 billion; www.compasspathways.com), was founded in 2015. The company is now testing the psychoactive compound psilocybin, sometimes referred to as “magic mushrooms,” as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression, or TRD. Compass Pathways launched its IPO and began trading on Nasdaq on September 18, 2020. That’s when the company sold 8.6 million ADRs at $17.00 each to raise $146.6 million. Peter Thiel, one of the initial investors in Facebook (symbol FB on Nasdaq), is among Compass’ largest shareholders. London, U.K.-based Compass has spent the past few years building on academic research that suggested psilocybin may be effective in the treatment of depression. In 2019, it completed its Phase I clinical trial testing COMP360, the company’s exclusive, highly pure version of psilocybin. The trial involved administering COMP360, along with psychological support, to 89 healthy volunteers. In this trial Compass observed that COMP360 did not cause serious adverse events. The substance…