Psyence BioMed becomes the first publicly listed company to explore psilocybin’s effects on biological aging and healthspan markers.
Toronto-based life science biotechnology company Psyence Biomedical Ltd. (Nasdaq: PBM) has unveiled a pioneering research programme examining psilocybin’s potential impact on biological aging. Conducted in collaboration with leading South African researchers, the initiative positions Psyence BioMed as the first publicly listed company to investigate psychedelics as a tool for longevity and healthspan.
The study will explore whether psilocybin influences markers associate with cellular resilience, inflammation, mitochondrial function and overall healthspan, offering a possible pathway to extend healthy years of life.
Psyence BioMed’s longevity programme complements its existing clinical trials, including psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress in palliative care patients in Australia. Together, these studies aim to map the full potential of nature-derived psychedelics, from mental wellness to long-term biological health.
Emerging science: psilocybin and longevity
Longevity science is attracting global attention as populations age and healthcare demands rise. Psychedelics like psilocybin are increasingly studied for their potential to modulate biological mechanisms tied to aging.
Early laboratory studies have produced striking results. In mice, psilocin, the compound into which the body converts psilocybin, has been shown to help older animals live longer. In human cell studies, skin and lung cells exposed to psilocin survived over 50% longer than untreated cells [1].
Imagine two patches of skin cells growing in a dish. One follows the usual aging pattern and eventually breaks down; the other, treated with psilocybin’s active compound, keeps repairing itself for much longer, showing fewer signs of wear.
Researchers suggest this may be because psilocybin appears to reduce oxidative stress (the cellular “rusting” process), protect telomeres (the protective caps on chromosomes that shorten with age), improve brain plasticity and activate pathways linked to resilience and longevity [2].
While early, these findings are opening the door to a new scientific conversation: could psychedelics one day help extend healthy human years?
Expert leadership and rigorous study design
Psyence BioMed’s initiative will be led by Dr Tanya Calvey, a neuroscientist specializing in translational neuropsychopharmacology. Calvey combines molecular biology, neuroimaging and neurohistology to investigate how psychoactive compounds influence brain health and cellular aging.
“Psilocybin modulates inflammation, neural connectivity, and cellular stress responses – all central to how we understand aging biology,” said Calvey. “The collaboration with Psyence BioMed enables us to rigorously investigate these mechanisms and generate evidence that could guide future human studies.”
Psyence BioMed CEO Jody Aufrichtig highlighted the broader significance of the initiative.
“Longevity is rapidly emerging as one of the most important frontiers in global health,” Aufrichtig said. “With public influencers like Bryan Johnson elevating longevity science and exploring psychedelic-assisted interventions, there is tremendous interest in understanding how psilocybin may influence biological ageing.”
As the first publicly listed company actively pursuing this research, Aufrichtig said that “Psyence BioMed is positioned at the forefront of an entirely new therapeutic arena.”
What this means for longevity medicine
For longevity clinics and preventative health practitioners, Psyence BioMed’s new programme marks the arrival of a therapeutic field that may soon reshape clinical practice. For years, psychedelics have been viewed almost exclusively through the lens of mental health.
Now, with emerging data suggesting that psilocybin may influence inflammation, mitochondrial resilience, and other hallmarks of aging, clinics are facing a new frontier: psychedelic-assisted longevity care.
This research could eventually broaden the toolkit available to clinicians who already manage patients seeking improved healthspan, cognitive sharpness or metabolic stability. While clinical adoption remains years away and must be grounded in rigorous human evidence, it’s clear that aging biology and psychedelic science are beginning to converge.
For practitioners, this represents both an opportunity and a responsibility: to stay informed, to scrutinize emerging data, and to prepare for a future in which treatments may target not just symptoms, but the cellular processes that drive ageing itself.
The Longevity Clinics Directory plays a critical role in this landscape, serving as a trusted resource for clinics seeking to monitor breakthroughs, identify research-aligned partners, and integrate evidence-based innovations into their care models.
If psilocybin-based longevity therapies do materialize, the clinics already engaging with this field will be the ones best positioned to lead and to offer patients scientifically grounded, next-generation interventions.
[1] https://news.emory.edu/stories/2025/07/hs_psilocybin_aging_study_10-07-2025/story.html
[2] https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/psychedelics-may-slow-aging-at-the-cellular-level-402094
