PharmAla Taps Rua Bioscience To Supply MDMA For PTSD Treatment
(RTTNews) - Rua Bioscience Limited (RUA) and PharmAla Biotech Holdings Inc. (MDMA.CN) have entered into a distribution and licence agreement for the supply of pharmaceutical-grade LaNeo MDMA in New Zealand.
Under the agreement, Rua will import, distribute and sell PharmAla's 40 mg LaNeo MDMA capsules to authorised prescribers in New Zealand. The product is manufactured to good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards.
The agreement follows Medsafe's September 4, 2026, approval of two psychiatrists to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), making New Zealand the second country after Australia to permit authorised psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA.
The initial shipment will be supplied on a consignment basis, allowing Rua to enter the market with limited upfront capital. The agreement adds a second regulated medicine to Rua's portfolio, building on its experience in medical cannabis, licensing, quality systems and regulatory compliance.
PharmAla is one of the early manufacturers of GMP-grade MDMA and supplies the medicine for clinical trials and authorised prescribing internationally, including in Australia.
Rua will work with PharmAla and Medsafe to complete the remaining regulatory and quality requirements before the first shipment. Both companies expect patient numbers to be modest initially as access to MDMA-assisted treatment for PTSD develops in New Zealand.
Separately, PharmAla said it had mutually terminated its exclusive New Zealand distribution and licence agreement with JC Logistics, doing business as Veridion Group, on September 1, 2026. The termination enabled PharmAla to appoint Rua as its New Zealand distributor.
MDMA.CN on Thursday closed down 6.67% at CAD 0.21.
RUA.NZ's shares closed thursday's trading at NZD 0.02, without any movement on the New Zealand Stock Exchange.
