Debra Borchardt
Mushroom company Champignon Brands Inc. (OTC:SHRMF) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Canadian ketamine clinic operator AltMed Capital Corp. Champignon said that AltMed has a suite of assets that will hasten Champignon’s anticipated rollout of new clinics to be opened across the United States and Canada. Five new clinics in key markets, including New York, Florida and California, are anticipated to be fully operational by Q4 2020.
Deal Terms
Champignon will buy all the shares of AltMed for a total consideration of 55,124,000 common shares, common shares that are currently selling at roughly $0.59 placing a value on the deal of approximately $32 million. 16,522,000 shares will be subject only to applicable hold periods under securities legislation and 38,602,000 will be subject to voluntary resale restrictions and released in five equal tranches every three months with the first release commencing thirty days following closing.
AltMed Clinics
AltMed owns 75% of the CRTCE, a fully operational ketamine clinic located in Mississauga, Ontario, with over 18 months of operating history. The CRTCE was licensed in 2018 by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Ontario under OHPP (Out of Hospital Premise Program) to administer ketamine treatments for indications including but not limited to depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
The clinic has been licensed by Health Canada to dose eligible patients with psilocybin and is the only clinic in Canada to perform psilocybin doses under Health Canada approval. AltMed’s chief executive officer, Dr. Roger McIntyre, is a professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the University of Toronto and head of the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
“Founded and operated by Dr. McIntyre, the CRTCE has the human capital and unmatched R&D capabilities, with respect to rapid onset treatments such as ketamine, to revolutionize the treatment of depression, PTSD and substance use disorders,” said Gareth Birdsall, CEO of Champignon. “Champignon and AltMed will leverage Dr. McIntyre’s expertise, alongside the CRTCE’s existing SOPs, data-driven research sets and practitioner education modules, to roll out five unique ketamine clinics across Florida, California and the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. Our additional ketamine clinics are projected to be fully operational by Q4 2020. Furthermore, having previously completed funding rounds, our acquisition of AltMed will further bolster our corporate treasury.”
Study Trials
With this acquisition, Champignon will now have three trials in the Phase I stage and three trials in the preclinical stage during 2020. The company will also have seven IP patents for its ketamine/psilocybin delivery platforms and formulations.
In the second half of 2020, AltMed said it will start both comprehensive R&D campaigns as well as clinical trials, to be led and administered by leading M.D.s, clinicians, and researchers targeting the following indications:
- Treatment-Resistant Depression (Dr. Roger McIntyre)
- Addiction (Dr. Peggi Shepherd DeGroote)
- PTSD/Traumatic Brain Injury (Dr. David Greenberg and Dr. Michel Rathbone)
- Aging/Dementia (Dr. DW Molloy)
- Anxiety/Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (Dr. Michael Van Amerigan)
Pat McCutcheon, director of AltMed, said in a statement: “Together with Champignon’s existing novel ketamine delivery platforms, associated patents/IP and now advanced clinical infrastructure, we will look to deliver approved, point-of-care psychedelic treatments in clinics throughout Canada and the United States. Ketamine, psilocybin and MDMA have all been fast-tracked by the FDA and Health Canada with respect to R&D in DPS, and we will look to monetize our capabilities and human capital within this domain. Led by our accomplished operational team, comprised of experienced clinicians, academics and thought leaders within dynamic, blue-sky industries, we will be the global leader with regard to the application of rapid onset treatments and will continue to be a first-in-class, vertically integrated center that champions R&D, clinical research, knowledge translation, vocational rehabilitation, and psychotherapeutics, offering patient populations a wholesome and comprehensive treatment ecosystem.”
