THERACAST

We map how drugs — and aging — change the whole brain. We use those maps to build next-generation treatments.

Mapped 250+ compounds
brain-wide across multiple doses
Platform validated
5 partnerships with big pharma clients
Internal programs
rapid antidepressant and highly efficacious antipsychotic treatments
Psychiatry Platform

Mapping drug-induced brain effects — brain-wide, drug by drug.

Theracast's discovery platform detects hundreds of thousands of c-Fos+ cells across the whole mouse brain, turning every drug into a functional whole-brain signature. AI-aided comparison across 250+ mapped compounds isolates the circuit patterns that track clinical efficacy — and the ones that track side effects.

Dosing

01Dose

Administer a drug candidate in mice.

Whole-brain imaging

02Map

Detect hundreds of thousands of c-Fos+ cells across the whole brain — a marker of neuronal activation.

Statistical comparison

03Compare

Run statistical comparisons across drugs, doses, and treatment regimens.

Brain signature

04Signature

Produce a functional whole-brain profile for every drug.

Platform methodology published in Cell: Renier et al., 2016 · Kim et al., 2017. Mapped signatures have accurately predicted the outcomes of historical and recent clinical trials.

BRAIN AGING PLATFORM

Mapping how the brain ages.

Beyond psychiatry: whole-brain mapping in young and aged mice shows aging systematically redistributing brain activity across 657 regions — a quantitative assay for aging and intervention studies.

Read the findings

Depression care is slow — and the fast option comes with baggage.

Ketamine and esketamine proved that antidepressant action within hours is possible, but dissociation and in-clinic dosing keep them out of reach for most patients. Theracast's lead combination is built for ketamine-like speed — without the baggage, as a simple at-home oral treatment.

332M
people worldwide live with depression (WHO, 2025)
4–8 weeks
typical wait before standard antidepressants take effect
~1 in 3
patients achieve remission on a first-line antidepressant (STAR*D)
Pipeline

Two programs built on the platform.

Both programs combine approved generics identified by whole-brain mapping — de-risked components, novel mechanisms, protected by a method-of-treatment patent filed in 2024.

PROGRAM 01 — DEPRESSION

A safe, rapid-acting, efficacious treatment built on a novel combination mechanism.

Engages both antidepressant-linked brain circuits from the first dose — engineered for rapid action without ketamine-like side effects.

CLINIC-READY · PHASE 1b IN 2027
PROGRAM 02 — SCHIZOPHRENIA

A safe, efficacious treatment built on a novel combination mechanism.

An innovative, highly effective schizophrenia treatment following the same platform-driven combination playbook.

PRECLINICAL
Publications
Unraveling Mechanisms of Traditional and Fast-acting Antidepressants
Mapping brain circuit for systemic inflammation (Collaboration with Prof. A. Kepecs, WashU)
Foundational Method Publications
Team

Founders with decades at the top of neuroscience and psychiatry.

Pavel Osten

Pavel Osten, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

Neuroscientist and biotech entrepreneur who pioneered whole-brain mapping of drug action. Invented Theracast's platform and led the discovery of its lead drug combinations.

Jeffrey A. Lieberman

Jeffrey A. Lieberman, M.D.

Acting Chief Medical Officer

Columbia University psychiatrist who helped shape modern psychiatric treatment — led the landmark CATIE trial and served as President of the American Psychiatric Association.

Scientific & clinical advisors: Maurizio Fava (Harvard · Mass General) · Daniel C. Javitt (Columbia) · Andrew Krystal (UCSF) · Raymond Sanchez (formerly Cerevel · Otsuka) · William Potter (formerly NIH · Lilly · Merck)
For pharma & biotech

Run your compounds on the platform.

Five pharmaceutical companies have commissioned pilot programs — independent, commercial validation of whole-brain signatures for their own pipelines. We partner selectively on discovery and translational programs in CNS.

Start a conversation