Seed Round · SAFE · Pre-IND

Two indications.
One film. One pilot.

Project Lucid is the first clinical program testing a sublingual esketamine film with PTSD as the primary indication and autoimmune disease as an adjunctive indication — from a single Phase 1/2 pilot. 505(b)(2) pathway confirmed. LTS Lohmann GMP manufacturing active. Human PK established. IRB-ready, Q4 2026 enrollment.

30-Second Summary

What it is, who it helps, and why it's a two-shots-on-goal asset.

  • The drug. 50mg sublingual esketamine film (LTS Lohmann). Bioequivalent Cmax to Spravato 56–84mg intranasal with a metabolite profile favoring synaptogenesis over dissociation.
  • The two indications. PTSD primary ($3.5B market, no biologic holds the label) + autoimmune adjunctive ($120B market, same cytokines as Skyrizi / Cosentyx / Humira).
  • Why one trial. PTSD patients carry 2× the autoimmune-disease burden (O'Donovan 2015, N=666,269). Wellington 2025 proved oral ketamine modulates IL-17, IFN-α/β, and cytokine-storm pathways in PTSD. One pilot reads out on both.
  • The regulatory path. 505(b)(2) confirmed by FDAMap. Anchors to Spravato's safety package — no new animal tox. At-home delivery unlocked via non-inferiority vs. the Spravato REMS using validated digital monitoring.
  • The defensible label. Flexible-dose tiles (26/39/52/65/78/90mg) within one product — a Phase 3 differentiator grounded in ketamine's inverted-U dose response.
  • The ask. $2.5M SAFE on $12M pre-money cap. Funds Phase 1/2 (N=12), expanded biomarker panel, at-home REMS concordance dataset, and IND filing.
  • The exit. Series A $15–25M post Phase 1 (Q4 2027); strategic interest from generic esketamine holders (Teva) and immunology-shelf acquirers on autoimmune signal. Transcend (MDMA analog) sold for ~$1.2B.
  • The team. Richard Idell, MD — Dallas psychiatrist, Sponsor-Investigator. Advisors: Mukesh Kumar (FDAMap, 150+ trials); Steven Idell (40y NIH, Lung Therapeutics acquired); EMMES CRO; Neurolivd (patient voice).
$2.5M
Seed SAFE raise
$12M
Pre-money SAFE cap
$123.5B
Combined TAM — PTSD + autoimmune adjunctive
Q4 2026
Phase 1/2 enrollment; IND Q4 2027
Why Now

The window has never been wider — and the cleanest lane is open.

The post-Lykos landscape has re-prioritized psychiatric assets with clean, placebo-controlled evidence packages. Ketamine's RCT record in PTSD is exactly that. No approved biologic holds the PTSD primary indication. No novel mechanism has been approved in 25 years. And oral ketamine is the first oral NMDA antagonist with transcriptomic evidence of modulating the same cytokines as the immunology shelf's top sellers.

Regulatory Tailwind
Post-Lykos clarity
FDA rejected MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD (Aug 2024) citing data integrity and functional unblinding. Eliminates the only other novel PTSD candidate with a home-adjacent delivery model. Placebo-controlled esketamine data is exactly what the agency asked for.
Scientific Bridge
Wellington 2025 transcriptomics
RNA transcriptomics in N=23 PTSD patients on 6-week oral ketamine: 1,154 differentially expressed genes, IL-17 z=3.36, IFN-α/β z=4.0, cytokine-storm z=4.26, 8.8× pathway activation. Same targets as Skyrizi, Cosentyx, Humira, Actemra.
Pricing Arbitrage
$64K psych vs. $250K immunology
Spravato reimburses at ~$64K/year. Skyrizi reimburses at ~$250K/year. Same molecule, two price points, two indication labels. If the autoimmune signal reads, the asset is on the shelf next to a quarter-million-dollar biologic, not a $64K psychiatric drug.
Delivery Moat
First at-home-capable esketamine
Spravato's REMS mandates in-clinic observation. Our patent-pending digital monitoring system is designed to demonstrate non-inferiority to the Spravato REMS using wearable vitals + CADSS — the regulatory prerequisite for an at-home label.
Deal Terms

Pre-IND seed SAFE

Instrument
SAFE
Post-money, YC standard form. Pre-IND seed round.
Raise
$2.5M
Funds Phase 1/2 (N=12), biomarker panel, REMS concordance dataset, IND filing.
Valuation Cap
$12M pre-money
Below comparable pre-IND psychedelic assets with completed human PK and confirmed FDA pathway.

Series A target $15–25M post-Phase 1 (Q4 2027). Check size and subscription details on request. Dual funding path: non-dilutive DoD/VA grants (CDMRP TBIPHRP up to $2.1M; NIMH SBIR) pursued alongside equity.

Data Room

Everything an analyst needs in one place.

Open documents for review. For full access including financial model, protocol redline, IP file, and IND readiness memo, contact investors@lucidptsd.com.

Team

Built by operators with regulatory scars.

Founder / PI
Richard Idell, MD
Dallas psychiatrist and PTSD specialist. Sponsor-Investigator of LUCID-PTSD-2026-001. Developed the dual-indication thesis from direct clinical ketamine experience.
Regulatory
Mukesh Kumar, PhD, RAC
CEO, FDAMap. 20+ years FDA regulatory affairs. 150+ clinical trials across 34 countries. Confirmed 505(b)(2) pathway viability for Project Lucid.
Scientific
Steven Idell, MD, PhD
Temple Chair in Pulmonary Fibrosis. 40 years continuous NIH funding. Founder of Lung Therapeutics (acquired → Rein Therapeutics).
CRO
EMMES Corporation
Full-service CRO engaged for Phase 1/2. Specializes in Phase I–IV trials, biostatistics, pharmacovigilance, and FDA regulatory affairs.
Patient Voice
Neurolivd
Rachel Wurzman, PhD (neuroscientist) and Jon Nelson (lived-experience executive). Embeds patient voice from protocol design through commercialization.
Manufacturing
LTS Lohmann
World-leading pharmaceutical thin-film manufacturer. GMP production active. Phase 1 PK study complete with their 50mg SL OTF platform.
Next Step

Let's talk.

Thirty minutes to walk through the thesis, the evidence, and the ask. If we're the wrong fit for your fund, we'd still welcome an intro to someone who is.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Any offering will be made only through definitive documentation. Forward-looking statements regarding clinical and regulatory outcomes are subject to risk. Not medical advice.