The broader public strongly prefers natural remedies. Despite this, only four botanical drugs have been approved by the FDA. The standardization processes required by the agency are often unfeasible for most companies in the biomedicine industry. However, AJNA BioSciences, a company powered by researchers from Johns Hopkins, Harvard and NYU, is inching toward two new approvals and doesn’t plan on stopping there. Led by a CEO with a successful IPO under his belt, this startup aims to develop a broad portfolio of botanical drugs and disrupt the $678 billion pharma industry. It has already gathered tremendous grassroots support, raising nearly $3.5 million exclusively from non-accredited investors. For a limited time, you can also acquire equity in the company with as little as $250.

Allowing Nature To Heal

Before founding AJNA Biosciences, CEO Joel Stanley gained notoriety with his previous company, Charlotte’s Web. The company gained public attention after helping a little girl named Charlotte Figi, who suffered as many as 300 epileptic seizures a day. Stanley’s company developed a strain of medicinal marijuana that reduced that number to zero. Charlotte’s Web then had an IPO and achieved $75 million in annual revenue under Stanley’s leadership. Now, at AJNA, he has surrounded himself with world-class scientists and professionals who believe that plants have the power to treat complex medical issues.

(Photos courtesy of AJNA Biosciences) 

Marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms, with their millennia-long history of medicinal use, were natural first candidates for AJNA’s research. From these, the Denver-based startup has developed two drugs intended to treat conditions affecting 80 million people: Autism Spectrum Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Both drugs are expected to begin phase 2 FDA trials in 2024 and 2025. The company is also developing a third candidate, a full-spectrum THC drug for PTSD treatment.

The Long Road To FDA Approval – Challenges And Rewards

Getting FDA approval is no walk in the park. It’s a tedious process that takes a long time. However, botanical drugs have the potential to pay off much more than their conventional counterparts. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, whose patents are protected for five to seven years, botanical drugs enjoy 20 years of protection. This system discourages competitors from developing similar drugs, creating an even greater incentive to be the first to develop them. And that’s exactly what AJNA is doing.

(Photo courtesy of AJNA Biosciences)

The team behind AJNA BioSciences aims to provide a botanical alternative to ubiquitous pharmaceutical drugs riddled with side effects. So far, it has raised over $26 million through conventional methods and around 3 million seed accredited investors and $570k on WeFunder from retail investors. Their raise is targeted to end 8/31. But if you want to own a stake in a company's growth, which could become very important as botanical drugs step into the limelight, you still have the chance to do so. By the end of the day, you can own a stake in AJNA Biosciences with as little as $250.

Join the movement – invest in the future of botanical drugs.

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