Encepheal Therapeutics
The business, the turning points, and the decisions behind them.
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Sections to complete：02 · 05
01 / WHAT IT BUILT
What the company did
EncepHeal Therapeutics is a Winston-Salem, North Carolina biotech developing neurotherapeutics for substance use disorders and mental health. Co-founded by Wake Forest graduates Aaron Lazarus (CEO) and Omeed Rahimi, it is developing small-molecule atypical dopamine transporter inhibitors as a cocaine-substitution therapy — targeting stimulant addictions (cocaine, methamphetamine) for which there are no FDA-approved treatments — with support from the NIH and Y Combinator.
02 / FAILURE REASONS
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03 / EVENT HISTORY
Events in the structured record
- Founded
EncepHeal Therapeutics was founded in Winston-Salem, North Carolina by Wake Forest graduates, out of an NIH Neuro Startup Challenge project.
- Grant funding
EncepHeal received a $150,000 Small Business Research Loan from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center to screen for a clinical drug candidate; total raised is about $360,000.
04 / CONTEMPORARY REBUILD ASSESSMENT
Difficulty of rebuilding this project today
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Overall assessment: Not completed
05 / CAUSAL CHAIN / AFTERMATH
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