News Release Details

- Leading non-profit and commercial organizations in psychedelic science united in visions to heal mental health conditions

- Donation is from atai Impact, the philanthropic arm of mental health company, atai Life Sciences

- Funds will help support the general operations of MAPS, including its Health Equity Program to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in psychedelic healthcare

NEW YORK and BERLIN, Feb. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- atai Impact, the philanthropic program of atai Life Sciences (Nasdaq: ATAI) (“atai”) and the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) today announced a $500,000 donation from atai Impact to MAPS. This donation is an important demonstration of the synergy and collaboration across the leading non-profit and commercial organizations to advance psychedelic medicine and tackle the escalating mental health crisis affecting over one billion people worldwide.¹

“We were already facing a global mental health crisis, but the pandemic has escalated this even further. To solve this crisis requires innovation, passion and collaboration,” said Florian Brand, CEO and Co-Founder, atai Life Sciences. “MAPS has been the driving force of the psychedelic renaissance over the last 35 years, promoting healing and well-being through education and research into psychedelics and their potential to revolutionize mental health for those in need. Their work has been an incredible source of inspiration and motivation to all of us at atai, and we’re pleased to work alongside them.”

“Mental health is a fundamental human right – one that today’s healthcare systems are not equipped to provide for. The sheer scale of the global mental health crisis calls for a large-scale response from nonprofit, public benefit, and for-profit organizations working together to meet the collective need. With this gift, atai Impact is demonstrating their commitment to our shared values of healing and health equity,” added Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director, MAPS.

The $500,000 donation from atai Impact is for multi-year support of MAPS’ ongoing initiatives, including its Health Equity Program. The program aims to optimize access and healing through the development of a diverse network of therapy providers reflecting the diverse experiences of those who experience trauma and mental health conditions.

“We launched atai Impact, our philanthropic arm, because we know there must be a cross-sector approach to healing mental health conditions for everyone, everywhere,” said Rae Richman, Vice President of atai Impact. “It’s an incredibly exciting and pivotal time for psychedelic medicine and atai Impact is committed to ensuring that, as the field grows, it promotes equitable, sustainable and effective practices.”

The donation from atai Impact to MAPS was issued through the atai Impact Fund at Vanguard Charitable.

Live media briefing and Q&A

Florian Brand, CEO of atai Life Sciences, and Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of MAPS will host an online press briefing and live media Q&A at 11.00am ET on Wednesday, February 16.

To pre-register and secure your attendance please visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ndd2dIznSKyFKe9D0RSnUw.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with joining information for the call.

About atai Impact

atai Impact was launched by atai Life Sciences, in October 2021, to harness the power of innovative mental health approaches for positive social change.

The key pillars of atai Impact’s activities are: advancing education, expanding access, and supporting the wider ecosystem of mental health care. atai Impact has an initial focus on the psychedelics sector, given its emerging potential in tackling the growing mental health crisis.

The establishment of atai Impact is based on atai Life Sciences’ position that harmonization across commercial and non-profit entities represents the best path forward to address all aspects of the escalating global mental crisis.

About atai

atai is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company aiming to transform the treatment of mental health disorders. atai was founded in 2018 as a response to the significant unmet need and lack of innovation in the mental health treatment landscape. atai is dedicated to acquiring, incubating, and efficiently developing innovative therapeutics to treat depression, anxiety, addiction, and other mental health disorders.

atai's business model combines funding, technology, scientific and regulatory expertise with a focus on psychedelic therapy and other drugs with differentiated safety profiles and therapeutic potential. By pooling resources and best practices, atai aims to responsibly accelerate the development of new medicines across its companies, seeking to effectively treat and ultimately heal mental health disorders.

atai's vision is to heal mental health disorders so that everyone, everywhere can live a more fulfilled life. atai has offices in New York, London, and Berlin. For more information, please visit www.atai.life.

About MAPS 

Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS is sponsoring the most advanced psychedelic therapy research in the world: Phase 3 clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD. Since its founding, MAPS has raised over $130 million for psychedelic and marijuana research and education and has earned both the Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency and a 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator.

References:

1. Rehm J, Shield KD. Global Burden of Disease and the Impact of Mental and Addictive Disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2019;21(2):10.
   

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any express or implied statements contained in this press release (including without limitation, the atai Impact program and any other future philanthropic endeavors by atai) that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, without limitation, the important factors discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in atai's prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on June 21, 2021, and in atai’s other filings with the SEC. atai disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release, other than to the extent required by applicable law.

Contact Information

For atai Impact:
Email: Impact@atai.life

Media Contact:
Camilla Dormer
VP, Communications
Email: camilla@atai.life

Investor Contact:
Chad Messer
VP, Investor Relations
Email: chad@atai.life