Helus Pharma (NASDAQ: HELP) (Cboe CA: HELP) has announced a strategic partnership with TARA Mind and Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (VETS) to enhance recruitment for its PARADIGM HLP003 Phase 3 clinical trial targeting major depressive disorder (MDD). The collaboration aims to leverage the networks of TARA Mind and VETS to increase veteran engagement in the trial, while also broadening mental health awareness within the veteran community.
The partnership aligns with the April 18, 2026 Executive Order on accelerating treatments for serious mental illness, underscoring the national priority to address mental health crises among veterans. Helus Pharma's HLP003, which has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a proprietary novel serotonergic agonist (NSA) designed to activate serotonin pathways believed to promote neuroplasticity. The Phase 3 program, known as PARADIGM, is evaluating HLP003 as an adjunctive treatment for MDD, a condition that affects millions of Americans and has a particularly high prevalence among veterans.
By partnering with TARA Mind, a organization focused on mental health support, and VETS, which specifically serves veterans, Helus Pharma aims to tap into communities that are often underserved and where the need for effective mental health treatments is acute. The collaboration is expected to facilitate patient recruitment and raise awareness about clinical trial opportunities, potentially accelerating the development of HLP003.
Helus Pharma, the commercial operating name of Cybin Inc., is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company founded in 2019. The company focuses on developing proprietary NSAs—synthetic molecules that target serotonin pathways to promote neuroplasticity, which is believed to underlie durable improvements in mental health. Beyond HLP003, Helus Pharma is also developing HLP004, a proprietary NSA in Phase 2 for generalized anxiety disorder, and maintains an extensive research portfolio of investigational NSAs.
The partnership comes at a critical time when mental health issues, particularly among veterans, are receiving increased attention. The Executive Order referenced in the announcement signals a top-down push to accelerate treatments for serious mental illness, which could benefit from innovative therapies like HLP003. For industry leaders, this collaboration highlights the growing intersection of pharmaceutical development and community-based recruitment strategies, potentially setting a precedent for how clinical trials can more effectively engage specific populations.
Helus Pharma operates in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. The company's progress with HLP003 and its pipeline of NSAs could have significant implications for the mental health treatment landscape, offering new options for patients who have not responded to existing therapies. The partnership with TARA Mind and VETS not only supports trial recruitment but also reinforces the company's commitment to addressing unmet mental health needs.
For more information about Helus Pharma and its programs, visit helus.com. The full press release is available at https://ibn.fm/o9dCH.
