RELMADA THERAPEUTICS INC

Relmada Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies for central nervous system disorders. Its lead product candidate, esmethadone (REL-1017), is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist being studied for major depressive disorder. The development pathway for this and similar pharmaceutical compounds requires extensive preclinical animal testing to assess efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and abuse potential prior to human trials. These standard procedures involve the commercial use of animals in laboratory research.

The company’s published research, including studies cited in its 2024 clinical trial publications, explicitly references data from “animal models predictive of abuse potential” conducted during esmethadone’s development. This indicates the compound’s preclinical assessment included tests such as self-administration studies in animals, a common component of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s required abuse liability evaluation for new CNS-active drugs. As a company whose core value is derived from a product candidate undergoing this regulatory process, Relmada’s business model is intrinsically linked to the commercial exploitation of animals in biomedical research.