Clinical stage biopharma Neurocentrx raises £3.7m from Wellcome Trust
This article covers the seed extension round on 23 September 2025 at Neurocentrx, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Edinburgh, UK, founded by Ronald Lindsay and Carmel Reilly. The company secured £3.7m, led by the Wellcome Trust with participation from other investors.
What does Neurocentrx do?
A clinic-to-home treatment combining an abuse-deterrent oral ketamine formulation with a regulated prescription care system. Its primary use is to enable clinic-to-home prescribed treatment under clinical oversight and monitor medication adherence.
Why is Neurocentrx useful?
Problem
People with severe, treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder struggle to access safe, clinic-to-home ketamine care. Existing options raise safety and misuse concerns and limit at-home treatment access.
Solution
Neurocentrx explains that it develops an abuse-deterrent oral ketamine capsule combined with a digital prescription care platform. This regulated clinic-to-home model aims to improve safety, adherence, and access for patients and providers.
How much did Neurocentrx raise?
Neurocentrx raised over £3.7m ($5m) in a seed extension round, including funding from the Wellcome Trust. This makes it the 35th largest funding round in September 2025 (51 recorded). By size, the round comes in 246th for 2025 (458 recorded) in the Startupmag database, as of 23 September 2025.
For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.
Who invested in Neurocentrx?
Key investors in the round include:
- Wellcome Trust: A global charitable foundation that supports research and innovation in life and health sciences, with programmes addressing mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of healthtech venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of healthtech angel investors in the UK
Who founded Neurocentrx?
The founders of Neurocentrx are Ronald Lindsay and Carmel Reilly.
In the funding announcement, Ronald Lindsay, founding director of Neurocentrx said:
This funding reflects confidence in our novel approach and recognition of the urgent need for innovative mental health treatments. It positions us to deliver a safe, scalable, and effective treatment model for patients living with severe mood disorders worldwide.
Where is Neurocentrx based?
Neurocentrx is based in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
What sector is Neurocentrx in?
Neurocentrx operates in the healthtech sector. The sector uses technology to improve healthcare services and patient outcomes. It helps make treatments safer, more accessible, and easier to manage at home.
Key trends and challenges in Healthtech:
Clinic-to-home care and digital therapeutics
More treatments move from clinics to homes using telehealth, apps and remote monitoring, for example FDA-cleared digital therapeutics.
Regulatory and safety hurdles
Regulators like the FDA, EMA and MHRA demand strong clinical evidence and risk controls, especially for controlled medicines.
Data, interoperability and reimbursement barriers
Patient data privacy rules such as GDPR complicate integration with EHRs like Epic and affect reimbursement.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the healthtech startups in the UK.
They've invested in Neurocentrx
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