DRUG Bright Minds Biosciences Inc

PART I

The following discussion and analysis, prepared for the year ended September 30, 2023, is a review of our operations, current financial position and outlook and should be read in conjunction with our annual consolidated financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2023 and the notes thereto. We present our financial statements in Canadian dollars. All references to "C$" are to Canadian dollars and references to "US$" are to United States dollars. On September 29, 2023, the daily average exchange rate for the conversion of Canadian dollars into U.S. dollars as reported by the Bank of Canada was C$1.00 = US$0.74.

ITEM 1. IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2. OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

ITEM 3. KEY INFORMATION

A. [Reserved]

B. Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C. Reasons for the offer and use of proceeds

Not applicable.

D. Risk Factors

An investment in our securities carries a significant degree of risk. You should carefully consider the following risks, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report, including our historical and pro forma financial statements and the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report, before you decide to purchase our securities. Any one of these risks and uncertainties has the potential to cause material adverse effects on our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results which could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements expressed by us and a significant decrease in the value of our securities. Refer to "Forward-Looking Statements".

We may not be successful in preventing the material adverse effects that any of the following risks and uncertainties may cause. These potential risks and uncertainties may not be a complete list of the risks and uncertainties facing us. There may be additional risks and uncertainties that we are presently unaware of, or presently consider immaterial, that may become material in the future and have a material adverse effect on us. You could lose all or a significant portion of your investment due to any of these risks and uncertainties.

Risks Related to the Business of the Company

We have a limited operating history and have not yet generated any revenues.

We have a very limited history of operations and are considered a start-up company, which makes evaluating our business and future prospects difficult. As such, we are subject to many risks common to such enterprises, including under-capitalization, cash shortages, limitations with respect to personnel, financial and other resources and lack of revenues. There is no assurance that we will be successful in achieving a return on shareholders' investment and the likelihood of our success must be considered in light of our early stage of operations.

Our actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from the expectations of our management.

Our actual financial position and results of operations may differ materially from our management's expectations. We have experienced some changes in our operating plans and certain delays in our plans. As a result, our revenue, net income and cash flow may differ materially from our expected revenue, net income and cash flow. The process for estimating our revenue, net income and cash flow requires the use of judgment in determining the appropriate assumptions and estimates. These estimates and assumptions may be revised as additional information becomes available and as additional analyses are performed. In addition, the assumptions used in planning may not prove to be accurate, and other factors may materially affect our financial condition or results of operations.

We may be required and have not yet obtained regulatory approvals, licenses, and permits in the jurisdictions where our products or technologies are being researched, developed or commercialized, which failure to obtain such regulatory approvals, licenses and permits will likely have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We, or our service providers, may be required to obtain and maintain certain permits, licenses, and approvals in the jurisdictions where our products or technologies are being researched, developed, or commercialized. We have not obtained regulatory approval for any product candidate and it is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any future product candidates will ever obtain regulatory approval. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain or maintain any necessary licenses, permits, or approvals. Any material delay or inability to receive these items is likely to delay and/or inhibit our ability to conduct our business, and would have an adverse effect on its business, financial condition, and results of operations. In particular, we will require approval from the FDA (as defined herein) and equivalent organizations in other countries before any of our products can be marketed. There is no assurance that such approvals will be forthcoming. Furthermore, the exact nature of the studies these regulatory agencies will require is not known and can be changed at any time by the regulatory agencies, increasing the financing risk and potentially increasing the time to market we face, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We may encounter substantial delays or difficulties with our clinical trials, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We may not commercialize, market, promote or sell any product candidate without obtaining marketing approval from the FDA (as defined herein) or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and we may never receive such approvals. It is impossible to predict when or if any of our product candidates will prove effective or safe in humans and will receive regulatory approval. Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of its product candidates, we must complete preclinical development and then conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates. Clinical testing is expensive, difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and is uncertain as to outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their products.

We may experience numerous unforeseen events prior to, during, or as a result of, clinical trials that could delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialize current and any future product candidates, including:

• delays in reaching a consensus with regulatory authorities on design or implementation of clinical trials;
   
• regulators or institutional review boards, or IRBs (as defined herein), may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;
   
• delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective clinical research organizations and clinical trial sites;
   
• clinical trials of our product candidates may produce negative or inconclusive results;
   
• imposition of a clinical hold by regulatory authorities as a result of a serious adverse event, concerns with a class of product candidates or after an inspection of our clinical trial operations, trial sites or manufacturing facilities;
   
• occurrence of serious adverse events associated with the product candidate that are viewed to outweigh its potential benefits;
   
• changes in regulatory requirements and guidance that require amending or submitting new clinical protocols; or
   
• we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or abandon product development programs.

Any inability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenue. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, we may need to conduct additional testing to bridge our modified product candidate to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays could also shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates, if approved, or allow competitors to bring competing drugs to market before us, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Additionally, if the results of our clinical trials are inconclusive or if there are safety concerns or serious adverse events associated with product candidates, we may:

• be delayed in obtaining marketing approval, if at all;
   
• obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as intended or desired;
   
• obtain approval with labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings;
   
• be subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements;
   
• be required to perform additional clinical trials to support approval or be subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements;
   
• be subject to the addition of labeling statements, such as warnings or contraindications;
   
• be sued; or
   
• experience damage to its reputation.

Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or obtaining marketing approvals. We do not know whether any of our preclinical studies or clinical trials will begin as planned, need to be restructured or be completed on schedule, if at all.

Further, we, the FDA or an IRB may suspend our clinical trials at any time if it appears that we or our collaborators are failing to conduct a trial in accordance with regulatory requirements, such as the FDA's current GCP (as defined herein), that we are exposing participants to unacceptable health risks, or if the FDA finds deficiencies in our INDs (as defined herein), or in the conduct of these trials. Therefore, we cannot predict with any certainty the schedule for commencement and completion of future clinical trials. If we experience delays in the commencement or completion of our clinical trials, or if we terminate a clinical trial prior to completion, the commercial prospects of our product candidates could be negatively impacted, and our ability to generate revenues from our product candidates may be delayed.

Clinical trials are expensive, time consuming and difficult to design and implement, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our product candidates will require clinical testing before we can submit an NDA (as defined herein) for regulatory approval. We cannot predict with any certainty if or when we might submit an NDA for regulatory approval for any of our product candidates or whether any such NDA will be approved by the FDA. Human clinical trials are very expensive and difficult to design and implement, in part because they are subject to rigorous regulatory requirements. For instance, the FDA may not agree with our proposed endpoints for any future clinical trial of our product candidates, which may delay the commencement of our clinical trials. The clinical trial process is also time consuming. Furthermore, failure can occur at any stage, and we could encounter problems that cause us to abandon or repeat clinical trials, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.

Our current and future clinical trials or those of our current or future collaborators may reveal significant adverse events not seen in our pre-clinical and non-clinical studies and may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval or market acceptance of any of our product candidates.

Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any products, we must demonstrate through lengthy, complex and expensive pre-clinical studies and clinical trials that our product candidates are both safe and effective for use in each target indication. Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. There is typically an extremely high rate of attrition for product candidates proceeding through clinical trials. Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials also may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy profile despite having progressed through non-clinical studies and initial clinical trials. If the results of our ongoing or future pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are inconclusive with respect to the safety and efficacy of our product candidates, if we do not meet the clinical endpoints with statistical and clinically meaningful significance, or if there are safety concerns associated with our product candidates, we may be prevented from or delayed in obtaining marketing approval for such product candidates.

In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety or efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial procedures set forth in protocols, differences in the size and type of the patient populations, changes in and adherence to the clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. Results of our trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects. Further, our product candidates could cause undesirable side effects in clinical trials related to on-target toxicity. If on-target toxicity is observed, or if our product candidates have characteristics that are unexpected, we may need to abandon their development or limit development to narrower uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. Most product candidates that commence clinical trials are never approved as products and there can be no assurance that any of our current or future clinical trials will ultimately demonstrate positive results or support further clinical development of any of our product candidates.

If significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our current or future clinical trials, we may have difficulty recruiting patients to our clinical trials, patients may drop out of our trials or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of one or more product candidates altogether. We, the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities may suspend or terminate clinical trials of a product candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects. Even if the side effects do not preclude the product from obtaining or maintaining marketing approval, undesirable side effects may inhibit market acceptance of the approved product due to its tolerability versus other therapies. Any of these developments could materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

We have limited experience in completing clinical trials and have only completed on phase one drug trial to date.

In July 2023, we completed its first Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead compound, BMB-101. However, we have not yet demonstrated an ability to obtain regulatory approval, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful commercialisation of a product candidate. We may not be able to file an IND for BMB-101 or any of our other product candidates on the timelines we expect, if at all. For example, we may experience manufacturing delays with IND-enabling studies. Moreover, we cannot be sure that submission of an IND will result in the FDA allowing further clinical trials to begin, or that, once begun, issues will not arise that require us to suspend or terminate clinical trials. Commencing each of these clinical trials is subject to finalizing the trial design based on discussions with the FDA and other regulatory authorities. Any guidance we receive from regulatory authorities is subject to change. For example, a regulatory authority could change its position, including on the acceptability of our trial designs or the clinical endpoints selected, which may require us to complete additional clinical trials or impose stricter approval conditions than we currently expect.

If we are required to conduct additional pre-clinical studies or clinical trials or other testing of our product candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of our product candidates or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are not positive or are only modestly positive or if there are safety concerns, we may:

• be delayed in obtaining marketing approval for our product candidates;
   
• not obtain marketing approval at all;
   
• obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as intended or desired;

• be subject to post-marketing testing requirements; or
   
• have the product removed from the market after obtaining marketing approval.

If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrolment of patients in clinical trials, our receipt of regulatory approvals could be delayed or prevented

We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials for our product candidates if we are unable to locate and enrol a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in these trials as required by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. In particular, because we are deploying our drug discovery platform across a broad target space, our ability to enrol eligible patients may be limited or may result in slower enrolment than we anticipate. For example, because some of our product candidates target rare diseases, we may have difficulty enrolling a sufficient number of eligible patients or enrolment may be slower than we anticipate. In addition, some of our competitors have ongoing clinical trials for product candidates that treat the same indications as our product candidates, and patients who would otherwise be eligible for our clinical trials may instead enrol in clinical trials of our competitors' product candidates. We may not be able to identify, recruit and enrol a sufficient number of patients to complete our clinical studies for a number of reasons, including:

• the severity of the disease under investigation;
   
• the eligibility criteria and overall design of the clinical trial in question;
   
• the perceived risks and benefits of the product candidate under study;
   
• clinicians' and patients' perceptions as to the potential advantages of the product candidate being studied in relation to other available therapies, including any new products that may be approved for the indications we are investigating;
   
• the ability to obtain and maintain patient consents;
   
• the efforts to facilitate timely enrolment in clinical trials;
   
• the patient referral practices of physicians;
   
• the size and nature of the patient population required for analysis of the trial's primary endpoints;
   
• the ability to monitor patients adequately during and after treatment;
   
• the proximity and availability of clinical trial sites for prospective patients;
   
• the risk that patients enrolled in clinical trials will drop out of the clinical trials before completion of their treatment; and
   
• factors we may not be able to control, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic or potential future pandemics that may limit patients, principal investigators, staff or clinical site availability.

Success in pre-clinical studies or clinical trials may not be predictive of results in future clinical trials.

Positive results from early pre-clinical studies and clinical trials of our product candidates are not necessarily predictive of the results of later pre-clinical studies and any future clinical trials of our product candidates. Even if we are able to complete our planned pre-clinical studies and clinical trials of our product candidates according to our current development timeline, the results from such pre-clinical studies and clinical trials of our product candidates may not be replicated in subsequent pre-clinical studies or clinical trial results. If we cannot replicate such positive results in our later pre-clinical studies and future clinical trials, we may be unable to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialise our product candidates.

Many companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials after achieving positive results in early-stage development, and we cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks. These setbacks have been caused by, among other things, pre-clinical and other non-clinical findings made while clinical trials were underway, or safety or efficacy observations made in preclinical studies and clinical trials, including previously unreported adverse events. Moreover, pre-clinical, non-clinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials nonetheless failed to obtain FDA approval.

Additionally, future clinical trials that we may plan might utilise an "open-label" trial design. An "open-label" clinical trial is one where both the patient and investigator know whether the patient is receiving the investigational product candidate or either an existing approved drug or placebo. Most typically, open-label clinical trials test only the investigational product candidate and sometimes may do so at different dose levels. Open-label clinical trials are subject to various limitations that may exaggerate any therapeutic effect as patients in open-label clinical trials are aware when they are receiving treatment. Open-label clinical trials may be subject to a "patient bias" where patients perceive their symptoms to have improved merely due to their awareness of receiving an experimental treatment. In addition, open-label clinical trials may be subject to an "investigator bias" where those assessing and reviewing the physiological outcomes of the clinical trials are aware of which patients have received treatment and may interpret the information of the treated group more favourably given this knowledge. The results from an open-label trial may not be predictive of future clinical trial results with any of our product candidates for which we include an open-label clinical trial when studied in a controlled environment with a placebo or active control.

Interim, "topline," and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient data becomes available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.

From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary or topline data from our clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the topline or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Topline data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, topline data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrolment continues and more patient data become available or as patients from our clinical trials continue other treatments for their disease. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects.

If the interim, topline, or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialise, our product candidates may be harmed, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and investors may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.

We may not be successful in our efforts to identify, license or discover additional product candidates, which may have a material adverse effect on our business and could potentially cause us to cease operations.

Although a substantial amount of our effort will focus on the continued research and pre-clinical testing, potential approval and commercialization of our existing product candidates, the success of our business also depends in part upon our ability to identify, license or discover additional product candidates. Our research programs or licensing efforts may fail to yield additional product candidates for clinical development for a number of reasons, including but not limited to the following:

• our research or business development methodology or search criteria and process may be unsuccessful in identifying potential product candidates;

• we may not be able or willing to assemble sufficient resources to acquire or discover additional product candidates;
   
• our product candidates may not succeed in pre-clinical or clinical testing;

• our product candidates may be shown to have harmful side effects or may have other characteristics that may make the products unmarketable or unlikely to receive marketing approval;
   
• competitors may develop alternatives that render our product candidates obsolete or less attractive;
   
• product candidates we develop may be covered by third parties' patents or other exclusive rights;
   
• the market for a product candidate may change during our program so that such a product may become unreasonable to continue to develop;
   
• a product candidate may not be capable of being produced in commercial quantities at an acceptable cost, or at all; and
   
• a product candidate may not be accepted as safe and effective by patients, the medical community or third-party payors.

If any of these events occurs, we may be forced to abandon our development efforts to identify, license or discover additional product candidates, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and could potentially cause us to cease operations. Research programs to identify new product candidates require substantial technical, financial and human resources. We may focus our efforts and resources on potential programs or product candidates that ultimately prove to be unsuccessful.

There is no assurance that we will turn a profit or generate immediate revenues.

There is no assurance as to whether we will be profitable, earn revenues, or pay dividends. We have incurred and anticipate that we will continue to incur substantial expenses relating to the development and initial operations of our business. The payment and amount of any future dividends will depend upon, among other things, our results of operations, cash flow, financial condition, and operating and capital requirements. There is no assurance that we pay any future dividends, if at all, and, if dividends are paid, there is no assurance with respect to the amount of any such dividends.

We have a going concern risk, which if we are unable to generative positive cash flows and/or obtain additional financing sufficient to fund continued activities and acquisitions, may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations as well as our ability to continue operations.

Our continued operation as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to generate positive cash flows and/or obtain additional financing sufficient to fund continuing activities and acquisitions. While we continue to review our operations in order to identify strategies and tactics to increase revenue streams and financing opportunities, there is no assurance that we will be successful in such efforts; if we are not successful, we may be required to significantly reduce or limit operations, or no longer operate as a going concern. It is also possible that operating expenses could increase in order to grow the business. If we do not start generating and significantly increase revenues to meet these increased operating expenses and/or obtain financing until our revenues meet these operating expenses, our business, financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. We cannot be sure when or if we will ever achieve profitability and, if we do, we may not be able to sustain or increase that profitability.

We may not be able to adequately protect and maintain our intellectual property and licenses, which could result in a material adverse effect to our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our success will depend in part on our ability to protect and maintain our intellectual property rights and our licenses. No assurance can be given that the license or rights used by us will not be challenged, invalidated, infringed or circumvented, nor that the rights granted thereunder will provide competitive advantages to us. It is not clear whether the pending patent applications will result in the issuance of patents. There is no assurance that we will be able to enter into licensing arrangements, develop or obtain alternative technology in respect of patents issued to third parties that incidentally cover its production processes. Moreover, we could potentially incur substantial legal costs in defending legal actions which allege patent infringement or by instituting patent infringement suits against others. Our commercial success also depends on us not infringing patents or proprietary rights of others and not breaching any license granted to us. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain such licenses that we may require to conduct our business or that such licenses have been obtained at a reasonable cost. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that we will be able to remain in compliance with our licenses. Consequently, there may be a risk that such licenses may be withdrawn with no compensation or penalties to us.

Our inability to achieve timelines for publicly disclosed projects may result in material adverse effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is dependent on a number of key inputs and their related costs including raw materials and supplies related to our operations, as well as electricity, water and other utilities. Any significant interruption or negative change in the availability or economics of the supply chain for key inputs could materially impact the business, financial condition operating results, and timelines for our project development. Any inability to secure required supplies and services or to do so on appropriate terms could have a materially adverse impact on the business, financial condition, operating results, and timelines for our project development.

We may need additional capital for future operations and if we are not able to secure any required capital, we may be forced to curtail or discontinue our operations.

It is possible that costs associated with the operating our business will exceed our projections depending on the timing of future operating and capital expenses. Assuming our existing funds sustain our operations for next 12 months, we believe that we may thereafter require additional capital for additional product development, sales and marketing operations, other operating expenses and for general corporate purposes to fund growth in our Company's markets. We do not know how much additional funding we may require. We may therefore be required to seek other sources of financing in the future, which sources (assuming we are able to locate such alternative sources of financing) may be on terms less favorable to us than those of our previous securities offerings. Any additional equity financing may be dilutive to shareholders, and debt financing, if available, may involve restrictive covenants. If additional funds are raised through the issuance of equity securities, the percentage ownership of our shareholders will be reduced, shareholders may experience additional dilution in net book value per share, or such equity securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of the holders of the Common Shares. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to develop or enhance our products and services, take advantage of future opportunities or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results, or we may be forced to curtail or cease our operations.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

The risk of product liability is inherent in the research, development, manufacturing, marketing and use of pharmaceutical products. Product candidates and products that we may commercially market in the future may cause, or may appear to have caused, injury or dangerous drug reactions, and expose us to product liability claims. These claims might be made by patients who use the product, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, corporate collaborators or others selling such products. If our product candidates during clinical trials were to cause adverse side effects, we may be exposed to substantial liabilities. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, product liability claims or other claims related to our product candidates may result in:

• decreased demand for our products due to negative public perception;
   
• injury to our reputation;
   
• withdrawal of clinical trial participants or difficulties in recruiting new trial participants;
   
• initiation of investigations by regulators;
   
• costs to defend or settle related litigation;
   
• a diversion of management's time and resources;
   
• substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients;
   
• product recalls, withdrawals or labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions;
   
• loss of revenues from product sales; and
   
• the inability to commercialize any of product candidates, if approved.

The Company intends to obtain clinical trial insurance for its clinical trials. However, the insurance coverage may not be sufficient to reimburse us for any expenses or losses we may suffer. Insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive, and, in the future, we, or any of our collaborators, may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts or at all to protect against losses due to liability. Even if our agreements with any future collaborators entitle us to indemnification against product liability losses, such indemnification may not be available or adequate should any claim arise. Our inability to obtain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of our product candidates. If a successful product liability claim or a series of claims is brought against us for uninsured liabilities or in excess of insured liabilities, our assets may not be sufficient to cover such claims and our business operations could be impaired.

Should any of the events described above occur, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Health and safety issues related to our products may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Health and safety issues related to our products may arise that could lead to litigation or other action ‎against us or to regulation of certain of our product components. We may be required to modify ‎our products and may also be required to pay damages that may reduce our ‎profitability and adversely affect our financial condition. Even if these concerns prove to be baseless, the resulting ‎negative publicity could affect our ability to market certain of our products and, in turn, could harm our ‎business and results from operations.

We have international operations, which subjects us to risks inherent with operations outside of Canada.

We have international operations and may seek to obtain market approvals in foreign markets that we deem could generate significant opportunities. However, even with the cooperation of a commercialization partner, conducting drug development in foreign countries involves inherent risks, including, but not limited to: difficulties in staffing, funding and managing foreign operations; different and unexpected changes in regulatory requirements; export restrictions; tariffs and other trade barriers; different reimbursement systems; economic weaknesses or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets; compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labour laws for employees living or travelling abroad; supply chain and raw materials management; difficulties in protecting, acquiring, enforcing and litigating intellectual property rights; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; and potentially adverse tax consequences.

If we were to experience any of the difficulties listed above, or any other difficulties, our international development activities and our overall financial condition may suffer and cause it to reduce or discontinue our international development and market approval efforts.

Exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the Canadian dollar may negatively affect our earnings and cash flows.

Our functional currency is the Canadian dollar. We may incur expenses in Canadian dollars and U.S. dollars. As a result, we are exposed to the risks that the Canadian dollar may devalue relative to the U.S. dollar, or, if the Canadian dollar appreciates relative to the U.S. dollar, that the inflation rate in Canada may exceed such rate of devaluation of the Canadian dollar, or that the timing of such devaluation may lag behind inflation in Canada. We cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation in Canada or the rate of devaluation, if any, of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar.

If patent laws or the interpretation of patent laws change, our competitors may be able to develop and commercialize our discoveries.

Important legal issues remain to be resolved as to the extent and scope of available patent protection for biopharmaceutical products and processes in Canada and other important markets outside Canada, such as Europe or the United States. As such, litigation or administrative proceedings may be necessary to determine the validity, scope and ownership of certain of ours and others' proprietary rights. Any such litigation or proceeding may result in a significant commitment of resources in the future and could force us to do one or more of the following: cease selling or using any of our future products that incorporate a challenged intellectual property, which would adversely affect our revenue; obtain a license or other rights from the holder of the intellectual property right alleged to have been infringed or otherwise violated, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all; and redesign our future products to avoid infringing or violating the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may be time-consuming or impossible to do. In addition, changes in patent laws in Canada and other countries may result in allowing others to use our discoveries or develop and commercialize our products. We cannot provide assurance that the patents we obtain will afford us significant commercial protection.

We may not be able to enforce our intellectual property rights throughout the world. This risk is exacerbated because we expect that one or more of our product candidates will be manufactured and used in a number of foreign countries.

The laws of foreign countries may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of Canada. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. This risk is exacerbated for us because we expect that future product candidates could be manufactured, and used in a number of foreign countries.

The legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to life sciences. This could make it difficult to stop the infringement or other misappropriation of our intellectual property rights. For example, several foreign countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner must grant licenses to third parties. In addition, some countries limit the enforceability of patents against third parties, including government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, patents and trade secrets may provide limited or no benefit.

Most jurisdictions in which we intend to apply for patents have patent protection laws similar to those of Canada, but some of them do not. For example, we may do business in the future in countries that may not provide the same or similar protection as that provided in Canada. Additionally, due to uncertainty in patent protection law, we have not filed applications in many countries where significant markets exist.

Proceedings to enforce patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Accordingly, efforts to protect intellectual property rights in such countries may be inadequate. In addition, changes in the law and legal decisions by courts in Canada, the U.S., and foreign countries may affect our ability to obtain adequate protection for our technology and the enforcement of our intellectual property.

The lack of product for commercialization would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We cannot successfully develop, manufacture and distribute our products, or if we experience difficulties in the development process, such as capacity constraints, quality control problems or other disruptions, we may not be able to develop market-ready commercial products at acceptable costs, which would adversely affect our ability to effectively enter the market. A failure by us to achieve a low-cost structure through economies of scale or improvements in cultivation and manufacturing processes would have a material adverse effect on our commercialization plans and our business, prospects, results of operations and financial condition.

Failure to develop new and innovative products may have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to develop, introduce and market new and ‎innovative products. If there is a shift in consumer demand, we must meet such demand through new and ‎innovative products or else our business will fail. Our ability to develop, market and produce new products ‎is subject to us having substantial capital. There is no assurance that we will be able to develop new and ‎innovative products or have the capital necessary to develop such products.

The lack of experience of our management in marketing, selling, and distributing products may have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.

Our management's lack of experience in marketing, selling, and distributing our products could lead to poor decision-making, which could result in cost-overruns and/or the inability to produce the desired products. Although our management intends to hire experienced and qualified staff, this inexperience could also result in our inability to consummate revenue contracts or any contracts at all. Any combination of the aforementioned may result in the failure of our business and a loss of investment.

The size of our target market is difficult to quantify, and investors will be reliant on their own estimates on the accuracy of market data.

Because the industry in which we operate is in a nascent stage with uncertain boundaries, there is a lack of information about comparable companies available for potential investors to review in deciding whether to invest in us and, few, if any, established companies whose business model we can follow or upon whose success we can build. Accordingly, investors will have to rely on their own estimates in deciding about whether to invest in us. There can be no assurance that our estimates are accurate or that the market size is sufficiently large for our business to grow as projected, which may negatively impact our financial results.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through the U.S. federal courts may be limited because we are incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, a substantial portion of our assets are in Canada and some of our executive officers and directors reside outside the United States

We are organized pursuant to the laws of the Province of British Columbia under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA"). The majority of our directors and officers and our auditor reside outside of the United States. In addition, a substantial portion of their assets and our assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, you may have difficulty serving legal process within the United States upon us or any of these persons. You may also have difficulty enforcing, both in and outside of the United States, judgments you may obtain in U.S. courts against us or these persons in any action, including actions based upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal or state securities laws. Furthermore, there is substantial doubt as to the enforceability in Canada against us or against any of our directors, officers and the expert named in this Annual Report who are not residents of the United States, in original actions or in actions for enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts, of liabilities based solely upon the civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities laws. In addition, shareholders in British Columbia companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in U.S. federal courts. As a result, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests through actions against us, our management, our directors or our major shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a jurisdiction in the United States.

We continue to sell shares for cash to fund operations, capital expansion, mergers and acquisitions that will dilute our current shareholders.

There is no guarantee that we will be able to achieve our business objectives. Our continued development will require additional financing. The failure to raise such capital could result in the delay or indefinite postponement of current business objectives or us going out of business. There can be no assurance that additional capital or other types of financing will be available if needed or that, if available, the terms of such financing will be favorable to us.

If additional funds are raised through issuances of equity or convertible debt securities, existing shareholders could suffer significant dilution. Our articles permit the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares, and shareholders will have no pre-emptive rights in connection with such further issuance. Our directors have discretion to determine the price and the terms of issue of further issuances. In addition, from time to time, we may enter into transactions to acquire assets or the shares of other companies. These transactions may be financed wholly or partially with debt, which may temporarily increase our debt levels above industry standards. Any debt financing secured in the future could involve restrictive covenants relating to capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities, including potential acquisitions. We may require additional financing to fund our operations to the point where it is generating positive cash flows. Negative cash flow may restrict our ability to pursue our business objectives.

If you purchase our Common Shares in an offering, you will experience substantial and immediate dilution, because the price that you pay may be substantially greater than the net tangible book value per share of our Common Shares that you acquire. This dilution is due in large part to the fact that our earlier investors will most likely have paid substantially less than the offering price which you may pay if you purchase our Common Shares.

Our officers and directors may be engaged in a range of business activities resulting in conflicts of interest, which may have a material adverse effect on our operations.

We may be subject to various potential conflicts of interest because some of our officers and directors may be engaged in a range of business activities. In addition, our executive officers and directors may devote time to their outside business interests, so long as such activities do not materially or adversely interfere with their duties to us. In some cases, our executive officers and directors may have fiduciary obligations associated with these business interests that interfere with their ability to devote time to our business and affairs and that could adversely affect our operations. These business interests could require significant time and attention of our executive officers and directors.

In addition, we may become involved in other transactions which conflict with the interests of our directors and officers who may from time to time deal with persons, firms, institutions or companies with which we may be dealing, or which may be seeking investments similar to those desired by us. The interests of these persons could conflict with ours. In addition, from time to time, these persons may be competing with us for available investment opportunities. Conflicts of interest, if any, will be subject to the procedures and remedies provided under applicable laws. In particular, if such a conflict of interest arises at a meeting of our directors, a director who has such a conflict will abstain from voting for or against the approval of such participation or such terms. In accordance with applicable laws, our directors are required to act honestly, in good faith and in our best interests.

In certain circumstances, our reputation could be damaged, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial performance, financial condition, cash flows and growth prospects.

Damage to our reputation can be the result of the actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, and could include any negative publicity, whether true or not. The increased usage of social media and other web-based tools used to generate, publish and discuss user-generated content and to connect with other users has made it increasingly easier for individuals and groups to communicate and share opinions and views regarding us and our activities, whether true or not. Although we believe that we operate in a manner that is respectful to all stakeholders and that we take care in protecting our image and reputation, we do not ultimately have direct control over how we are perceived by others. Reputation loss may result in decreased investor confidence, increased challenges in developing and maintaining community relations and an impediment to our overall ability to advance our projects, thereby having a material adverse impact on financial performance, financial condition, cash flows and growth prospects.

We have negative operating cash flow.

Our business has incurred losses since its inception. Although we expect to become profitable, there is no guarantee that will happen, and we may never become profitable. We currently have a negative operating cash flow and may continue to have a negative operating cash flow for the foreseeable future. To date, we have not generated any revenues and a large portion of our expenses are fixed, including expenses related to facilities, equipment, contractual commitments and personnel. As a result, we expect our net losses from operations to improve. Our ability to generate additional revenues and potential to become profitable will depend largely on our ability to manufacture and market our products and services. There can be no assurance that any such events will occur or that the Company will ever become profitable. Even if we do achieve profitability, we cannot predict the level of such profitability. If we sustain losses over an extended period of time, we may be unable to continue our business.

Our forward-looking statements may prove to be inaccurate.

Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking ‎statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, of both general and specific ‎nature, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements or ‎contribute to the possibility that predictions, forecasts or projections will prove to be materially inaccurate. Additional ‎information on the risks, assumptions and uncertainties can be found in this Annual Report under the heading "Forward-‎Looking Statements".‎

If we have a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting, investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which could result in a decrease in the value of its securities.

One or more material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting could occur or be identified in the future. In addition, because of inherent limitations, our internal controls over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements, and any projections of any evaluation of effectiveness of internal controls to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with our policies or procedures may deteriorate. If we fail to maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, including any failure or difficulty in implementing required new or improved controls, our business and results of operations could be harmed, we may not be able to provide reasonable assurance as to our financial results or meet our reporting obligations and there could be a material adverse effect on the price of our securities.

Difficulties with forecasts.

We must rely largely on our own market research to forecast sales as detailed forecasts are not generally obtainable from other sources at this early stage of the biotechnology industry dedicated to the discovery of serotonergic therapeutics. A failure in the demand for its products and services to materialize as a result of competition, technological change or other factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

COVID-19 may materially and adversely affect our business and financial results.

Our business could be materially and adversely affected by health epidemics in regions where we conduct research and development activities.

In December 2019, a novel strain of COVID-19 was reported in China. Since then, COVID-19 has spread globally. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of COVID-19 as a "pandemic", or a worldwide spread of a new disease. Many countries around the world, including Canada, the United States and most countries in Europe, have imposed quarantines and restrictions on travel and mass gatherings to slow the spread of the virus, and have closed non-essential businesses.

The COVID-19 pandemic and any other health epidemics have the potential to cause significant disruption in the operations of the laboratories upon whom we rely, including laboratories situated in various parts of the United States and Europe. We are reliant on the continued operations of such laboratories. The regulations imposed by governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic may cause laboratories to operate at limited occupancy rates, which may slow the rate at which research and development activities can be conducted. We may not have control over the protocols adopted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by such laboratories in response to the regulations imposed by the governments in the regions in which they operate. The effects of such protocols and/or regulations may negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business and delay our research and development timelines, as well as potentially impact our financial condition and result of operations. The magnitude of these potential effects is uncertain and will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions imposed by governments in response.

To the knowledge of our management as of the date hereof, COVID-19 does not present, at this time, any specific known impacts to us in relation to our timelines, business objectives or disclosed milestones related thereto. We rely on third parties to process and manufacture our products.

Risks Related to Our Common Shares

Our executive officers and directors beneficially own approximately 31.51% of our Common Shares.

As of December 22, 2023, our executive officers and directors beneficially own, in the aggregate, approximately 31.51% of our Common Shares, which includes shares that our executive officers and directors have the right to acquire pursuant to warrants and stock options which have vested. As a result, they are able to exercise a significant level of control over all matters requiring shareholder approval, including the election of directors, amendments to our Articles and approval of significant corporate transactions. This control could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of our Company or changes in management and will make the approval of certain transactions difficult or impossible without the support of these shareholders.

The continued sale of our equity securities will dilute the ownership percentage of our existing shareholders and may decrease the market price for our Common Shares.

Our Notice of Articles authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of Common Shares. Our Board of Directors has the authority to issue additional shares of our capital stock to provide additional financing in the future. The issuance of any such Common Shares may result in a reduction of the book value or market price of our outstanding Common Shares. Given our lack of revenues, we will likely have to issue additional equity securities to obtain working capital we require in the future. Our efforts to fund our intended business plans will therefore result in dilution to our existing shareholders. If we do issue any such additional Common Shares, such issuance also will cause a reduction in the proportionate ownership and voting power of all other shareholders. As a result of such dilution, if you acquire Common Shares your proportionate ownership interest and voting power could be decreased. Furthermore, any such issuances could result in a change of control or a reduction in the market price for our Common Shares.

Additionally, we had 228,161 stock options, 192,000 RSUs and 1,709,285 warrants outstanding as of December 22, 2023. The exercise price of some of these options and warrants is below our current market price, and you could purchase shares in the market at a price in excess of the exercise price of our outstanding warrants or options. If the holders of these options and warrants elect to exercise them, your ownership position will be diluted and the per share value of the Common Shares you have or acquire could be diluted as well. As a result, the market value of our Common Shares could significantly decrease as well.

The market price of our Common Shares may be volatile and may fluctuate in a way that is disproportionate to our operating performance.

Securities of companies with a small market capitalization have experienced substantial volatility in the past, often based on factors unrelated to the companies' financial performance or prospects. These factors include macroeconomic developments in North America and globally, as well as market perceptions of the attractiveness of particular industries. Factors unrelated to the Company's performance that may affect the price of the Common Shares include the following: the extent of analytical coverage available to investors concerning our business may be limited if investment banks with research capabilities do not follow us; lessening in trading volume and general market interest in the Common Shares may affect an investor's ability to trade significant numbers of Common Shares; the size of our public float may limit the ability of some institutions to invest in Common Shares; and a substantial decline in the price of the Common Shares that persists for a significant period of time could cause the Common Shares, if listed on an exchange, to be delisted from such exchange, further reducing market liquidity. As a result of any of these factors, the market price of the Common Shares at any given point in time may not accurately reflect our long-term value. Securities class action litigation often has been brought against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their securities. We may in the future be the target of similar litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and damages and divert management's attention and resources.

The market price of the Common Shares is affected by many other variables which are not directly related to our success and are, therefore, not within our control. These include other developments that affect the breadth of the public market for the Common Shares, the release or expiration of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on the Common Shares, and the attractiveness of alternative investments. The effect of these and other factors on the market price of the Common Shares is expected to make the Common Share price volatile in the future, which may result in losses to investors.

Our stock price is expected to be volatile and will be drastically affected by governmental and regulatory regimes and other factors outside of our control. We cannot fully predict the results of our operations expected to take place in the future. The results of these activities will inevitably affect our decisions related to future operations and will likely trigger major changes in the trading price of the Company shares.

We do not intend to pay dividends and there will thus be fewer ways in which you are able to make a gain on your investment.

We have never paid any cash or stock dividends and we do not intend to pay any dividends for the foreseeable future. To the extent that we require additional funding in the future, our funding sources may prohibit the payment of any dividends. Because we do not intend to declare dividends, any gain on your investment will need to result from an appreciation in the price of our Common Shares. There will therefore be fewer ways in which you are able to make a gain on your investment.

FINRA sales practice requirements may limit your ability to buy and sell our Common Shares, which could depress the price of our shares.

Financial Industry Regulation Authority ("FINRA") rules require broker-dealers to have reasonable grounds for believing that an investment is suitable for a customer before recommending that investment to the customer. Prior to recommending speculative low-priced securities to their non-institutional customers, broker-dealers must make reasonable efforts to obtain information about the customer's financial status, tax status and investment objectives, among other things. Under interpretations of these rules, FINRA believes that there is a high probability such speculative low-priced securities will not be suitable for at least some customers. Thus, FINRA requirements may make it more difficult for broker-dealers to recommend that their customers buy our Common Shares, which may limit your ability to buy and sell our Common Shares, have an adverse effect on the market for our Common Shares and, thereby, depress their market prices.

Our Common Shares have typically been thinly traded, and you may be unable to sell at or near ask prices or at all if you need to sell your Common Shares to raise money or otherwise desire to liquidate your shares.

Our Common Shares began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") on February 8, 2021 and began trading on The Nasdaq Capital Market ("Nasdaq") on November 8, 2021. Our Common Shares have typically been "thinly-traded", meaning that the number of persons interested in purchasing our Common Shares at or near bid prices at any given time was relatively small or non-existent. This could be due to a number of factors, including that we are relatively unknown to stock analysts, stock brokers, institutional investors and others in the investment community that generate or influence sales volume, and that even if we came to the attention of such persons, they tend to be risk-averse and might be reluctant to follow an unproven company such as ours or purchase or recommend the purchase of our Common Shares until such time as we became more seasoned. As a consequence, there may be periods of several days or more when trading activity in our Common Shares is minimal or non-existent, as compared to a seasoned issuer which has a large and steady volume of trading activity that will generally support continuous sales without an adverse effect on share price. The Company cannot predict when periods of increased trading activity may occur, or whether they will occur at all. Broad or active public trading market for our Common Shares may not develop or be sustained.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act. As such, we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies. For example:

• we are not required to provide as many Exchange Act reports, or as frequently, as a domestic public company;
   
• for interim reporting we are permitted to comply solely with our home country requirements, which are less rigorous than the rules that apply to domestic public companies;
   
• we are not required to provide the same level of disclosure on certain issues, such as executive compensation;
   
• we are exempt from provisions of Regulation FD aimed at preventing issuers from making selective disclosures of material information;
   
• we are not required to comply with the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act; and
   
• we are not required to comply with Section 16 of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their share ownership and trading activities and establishing insider liability for profits realized from any "short-swing" trading transaction.

Our shareholders may not have access to certain information they may deem important and are accustomed to receive from U.S. reporting companies.

As an "emerging growth company" under applicable law, we will be subject to lessened disclosure requirements. Such reduced disclosure may make our Common Shares less attractive to investors.

For as long as we remain an "emerging growth company", as defined in the JOBS Act, we will elect to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not "emerging growth companies" and including, but not limited to, not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports, exemptions from the requirements of holding a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. Because of these lessened regulatory requirements, our shareholders would be left without information or rights available to shareholders of more mature companies. If some investors find our Common Shares less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for such securities and their market prices may be more volatile.

We incur significant costs as a result of being a public company, which costs will grow after we cease to qualify as an "emerging growth company."

We incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses as a public company that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and Nasdaq, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. We are an "emerging growth company", as defined in the JOBS Act, and will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of : (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary of the date of the first sale of our common equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement under the U.S. Securities Act, (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least US$1.07 billion or (c) in which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer, which means the market value of our Common Shares that is held by non-affiliates exceeds US$700 million as of the prior June 30^th; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than US$1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. An emerging growth company may take advantage of specified reduced reporting and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. These provisions include exemption from the auditor attestation requirement under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the assessment of the emerging growth company's internal control over financial reporting and permission to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies.

Compliance with these rules and regulations increases our legal and financial compliance costs and makes some corporate activities more time-consuming and costlier. After we are no longer an emerging growth company, we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. For example, as a public company, we have been required to increase the number of independent directors and adopt policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We have incurred additional costs in obtaining director and officer liability insurance. In addition, we incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

ITEM 4. INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

Summary

We were incorporated on May 31, 2019, under the laws of the Province of British Columbia, Canada, under the name "1210954 B.C. Ltd." On March 6, 2020, we changed our name to "Bright Minds Biosciences Inc."

Our head office is located at 19 Vestry Street, New York, NY 10013.

Additional information related us is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on our website at https://brightmindsbio.com/. We do not incorporate the contents of our website or of www.sedarplus.ca into this Annual Report. Information on our website does not constitute part of this Annual Report. In addition, the SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC which can be viewed as www.sec.gov.

Our registered and records office is located at Suite 1500, 1055 West Georgia Street, P.O. Box 11117, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6E 4N7.

A. History and development of the Company

We are a biotechnology company dedicated to developing therapeutics to improve the lives of patients with severe and life-altering diseases, which was incorporated on May 31, 2019 under the laws of British Columbia, Canada.

We have two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Bright Minds Biosciences LLC, a limited liability company formed pursuant to the laws of Delaware, and Bright Minds Bioscience Pty. Ltd., a company formed pursuant to the laws of Australia.

B. Business Overview

Overview

The Company is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing the next-generation therapeutics to improve the lives of patients with severe and life-altering diseases. The Company is focused on new chemical entities (NCEs) for a variety of central nervous system disorders, including but not limited to pediatric epilepsies, as well as other neuro-psychiatric disorders, including but not limited to depression. The Company's R&D efforts focus on medical indications based on its expertise in 5-HT (serotonin) mediated diseases.

Principal Products

Serotonin (5-HT) is the most prominent neurotransmitter in the brain and modulates many biological functions. Dysfunction of serotonin receptors, transporters, and associated neurocircuits is fundamental to many diseases including epilepsies and neuro-psychiatric disorders such as depression. The class of medications known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors ("SSRIs"), such as Prozac®, Zoloft®, and Lexapro®, are widely used in the treatment of depression with a market of US$14.3 Billion¹. Similarly, other serotoninergic drugs are widely used in the treatment of pain (Triptans in migraine)², Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease related psychosis (Pimavanserin)³, and seizures (Fintepla)⁴. The off-label use of psilocybin extracts in depression and cluster headache, as well as encouraging clinical trial data with psilocybin and MDMA in depression and PTSD illustrate the potential for advancing serotoninergic therapies in neuropsychiatry and pain. The full potential of serotonin-based therapeutics has not been achieved due to the lack of medications that are selective and specific to certain serotonin receptor subtypes that are fundamental to disease pathology, without non-specific effects, or other off-target effects on other serotonin receptors in the body that are associated with cardiac toxicities and have resulted in previous drugs being withdrawn from the market.

Bright Minds has a portfolio of patented, selective serotonin (5-HT2C and 5-HT2C/A-receptor subtypes) agonists that were identified using high-throughput screening methods in combination with advanced molecular modeling techniques to interrogate the interaction between the drug and its targeted receptors to increase downstream signaling while avoiding off-target effects.

The Company's lead 5-HT₂ subtype selective drug portfolio candidate is a synthetic 5-HT_2C receptor agonist without psychedelic effects. The Company expects its 5-HT_2A and 5-HT_2A/C selective compounds will possess desirable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects and a wide effective dose range in the target populations, and could thus be used without the need for close supervision by psychotherapists in the clinic. Bright Minds is partnered with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke ("NINDS"), a component of the National Institutes of Health, with respect to the Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (the "ETSP Program") which permits the Company to have its product candidates screened and tested by the NINDS for the purposes of determining whether the product candidates are anticonvulsant, antiepileptogenic, or have activity against resilient epilepsy and related disorders. The Company is also partnered with the NINDS with respect to the Pre-clinical Screening Platform for Pain Program (the "PSPP Program") which permits the Company to have its product candidates screened and tested by the NINDS for the purpose of identifying non-opioid therapeutics for the treatment of pain. The NINDS screens and tests Company's product candidates in both the ETSP Program and PSPP Program free of charge and the NINDS retains zero financial interest in the Company. Further, the NINDS is not permitted to use the Company's product candidates tested in either the ETSP Program or PSPP Program for any commercial purposes nor is the NINDS permitted to make any derivative, resynthesize, or make any modification to the Company's product candidates.

The Company has completed the following preclinical studies on its product candidates:

The Company has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial on its leading product candidate, 5-HT_2Cagonist, as follows:

Competition

The biotechnology and biopharmaceutical industries, and the neurological subsector, are characterized by rapid evolution of technologies, fierce competition, and strong defense of intellectual property. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will have to compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. While we believe that our rational approach to drug design, along with our scientific expertise in the field of serotonergic drugs and central nervous system ("CNS") function, provide us with competitive advantages, a wide variety of institutions, including large biopharmaceutical companies, specialty biotechnology companies, academic research departments, and public and private research institutions, are actively developing potentially competitive products and technologies. Our competitors generally fall within the following categories:

• Antidepressants and anxiolytics. Alkermes Plc, Allergan Plc, Bristol Myers Squibb Co., Eli Lilly and Co., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, H. Lundbeck, Eli Lilly and Co., Merck & Co. Inc., Pfizer Inc., and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and others.
   
• Treatment of cluster headache. Amgen, Novartis, Teva, Eli Lilly, Lundbeck, Allergan, Generic Drugs.
   
• Binge eating disorder. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., H. Lundbeck A/S, Orexigen Therapeutics, Inc., Novo Nordisk A/S, Eli Lilly and Company, Jazz Pharmaceuticals Inc., and VIVUS Inc.
   
• Dravet Syndrome/Epilepsy. LivaNova PLC, Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., Eisai Co. Ltd., GlaxoSmithKline PLC, Pfizer Inc., UCB SA, Medtronic PLC, NeuroPace Inc., Novartis AG, GW Pharmaceuticals PLC, and Abbott Laboratories, Zogenix.
   
• Opioid use disorder. Merck & Co., Inc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Pfizer Inc, Novartis, Sanofi N.V, Johnson & Johnson Services, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Bayer AG, Alkermes.

Patents and Patent Applications

Kozikowski-Roth Patents

The Company has exclusively licensed a family of patents based on PCT/US2011/023535, which is co-owned by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This family of licensed patents includes patents granted in Australia (AU Pat No 2011212930), Canada (CA Pat No 2788416), Europe (EU Pat No 2531485), Japan (JP Pat No 5810099), United States (US Pat No 8492591 and US Pat No 8754132). In addition, the Company has exclusively licensed a family of patents based on PCT/US2016/015019, which is solely owned by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. This family of licensed patents includes patents applied for or granted in China (CN Publication No 107810175), Europe (EU Publication No 3250549), Hong Kong SAR (HK Publication No 1251831), and the United States (US Pat No 10407381). The latest patent to issue is US Pat No 10407381 which will expire on January 27, 2036.

These patents were based on the past research completed by Dr. Alan Kozikowski and Dr. Bryan Roth that is documented in United States publication number US20090203750A1 "5-HT2C Receptor Agonists as Anorectic Agents". The invention related to the discovery of novel selective 5-HT2C and 5-HT2C/A agonists that could be used for the treatment of multiple neurological conditions.

On May 26, 2020, the Company entered into an option agreement (the "Roth Kozikowski Agreement") with the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois ("UIC") in which UIC granted the Company, in consideration for an option fee, an exclusive option to: (i) evaluate the inventions described in PCT/US2011/023535 and all counterpart patents related thereto and described in PCT/US2016/015019 and all counterpart patents related thereto (collectively, the "Inventions"); and (ii) obtain an exclusive license to the Inventions. On April 23, 2021, the Company and UIC entered into a First Amendment to the Roth Kozikowski Agreement for the purpose of amending certain terms in the Roth Kozikowski Agreement.

On April 23, 2021, the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement (the "Exclusive License Agreement") with UIC pursuant to the exercise of its option under the Roth Kozikowski Agreement and the First Amendment to the Roth Kozikowski Agreement. Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Exclusive License Agreement, UIC granted the Company an exclusive license to the Inventions (the "License"). In consideration for the License, the Company (i) paid UIC a signing fee of US$100,000, less US$15,000 paid by the Company pursuant to the Roth Kozikowski Agreement; and (ii) issued 63,000 Common Shares at a deemed price of $5.85 per Common Share to the UIC (part of which was received by UIC on behalf of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Additionally, the Company agreed to pay UIC a royalty on net sales of products derived from the Inventions and a portion of all revenue received by the Company from sublicensees.

The Company may terminate the Exclusive License Agreement at any time on written notice to UIC at least ninety (90) days prior to the termination date specified in the notice. The notice of termination must also include the Company's reason for such termination. UIC may terminate the Exclusive License Agreement if the Company: (a) fails to pay any amount, or provide any other consideration, or make any report when required, and the Company does not cure such failure within ninety (90) days after receiving notice thereof; (b) is in breach of any provision of the Exclusive License Agreement not covered by (a) and the Company does not cure such failure within forty-five (45) days after receiving notice thereof; (c) is in breach of any obligations that the Company has to UIC under any other agreement between the Company and UIC and the Company does not cure such failure within ninety (90) days after receiving notice thereof, however, should the Company be aware it is unable to remedy such breach within ninety (90) days, the Company shall have the option to provide written notice to UIC after which the Company and UIC shall negotiate in good faith to determine an appropriate extension to said ninety (90) day time frame; (d) makes any materially false report and receives written notice from UIC; (e) to the extent not prohibited by applicable law commences a voluntary case as a debtor under the Bankruptcy Code of the United States or any successor statute (the "Bankruptcy Code"), or if an involuntary case is commenced against the Company under the Bankruptcy Code, or if an order for relief shall be entered in such case, or if the same or any similar circumstance shall occur under the laws of any foreign jurisdiction; and/or (f) takes any action that purports to cause or causes any of the patent rights or technical information subject to the Exclusive License Agreement to be subject to any lien or encumbrance, and such termination shall be upon written notice to the Company.

Filed Patent Applications

Based upon molecular modeling studies in concert with data available from published research articles, the Bright Minds chemistry team designed novel analogs of psilocin that they believed would retain 5-HT2A activity while having no propensity to activate the 5-HT2B receptors. These new chemical entities were thus anticipated to retain the brain re-booting activity of psilocin while showing no propensity to cause valvulopathy issues.

On March 12, 2020, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that was assigned a serial number of US 62/988,926. This patent application focused on psilocin analogs that have been decorated with functionality appropriate to achieving the goals of maintaining the desired 5-HT2A activity while being devoid of 5-HT2B activity. On March 12, 2021, Bright Minds filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application that claims priority to US 62/988,926. Such Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application was assigned a serial number of PCT/CA2021/050336. In September 2022, PCT/CA2021/050336 entered the national phase in the United States of America; the United States application, which has been assigned a serial number of 17/911,022, is currently pending. In October 2022, PCT/CA2021/050336 entered the national phase in the European Union; the European Union application, which has been assigned a serial number of 21768153.5, is currently pending.

On April 29, 2020, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that was assigned a serial number of US 63/017,627. This patent application focused on psilocin analogs that have been decorated with functionality appropriate to achieving the goals of maintaining the desired 5-HT2A activity while being devoid of 5-HT2B activity; on April 29, 2021, US 63/017,627 expired without further public disclosure. On May 4, 2021, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that was assigned a serial number of US 63/184,040; US 63/184,040 included subject matter that was previously recited in US 63/017,627; on May 4, 2022, US 63/184,040 expired without further public disclosure. On May 5, 2022, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that has been assigned a serial number of US 63/338,842; US 63/338,842 includes subject matter that was previously recited in US 63/184,040 and US 63/017,627; on May 5, 2023, US 63/338,842 expired without further public disclosure. On May 8, 2023, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that has been assigned a serial number of US 63/464,749; US 63/464,749 includes subject matter that was previously recited in US 63/338,842 and US 63/184,040 and US 63/017,627.

On May 26, 2021, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that was assigned a serial number of US 63/193,062. This patent application focused on substitutions at a particular position on an indole structure. On May 25, 2022, Bright Minds filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application that claims priority to US 63/193,062. Such Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application has been assigned a serial number of PCT/CA2022/050833. In November 2023, PCT/CA2022/050833 entered the national/regional phase in the United States of America (assigned application number 18/562,587), Canada (assigned application number 3,219,940), Japan (assigned application number 2023-573064), and the European Union (assigned application number 22810004.6). Bright Minds will also enter the national phase for this international application in South Korea and China. The deadline to enter the South Korean national phase is December 26, 2023. The deadline to enter the Chinese national phase is January 26, 2024 (by way of a 2 month extension).

On January 4, 2022, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that has been assigned a serial number of US 63/296,430. This patent application focuses on phenethylamine compounds. On November 4, 2022, Bright Minds filed a second United States provisional application focused on phenethylamine compounds; this provisional application has been assigned a serial number of US 63/422,730. On January 4, 2023, Bright Minds filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application that claims priority to US 63/296,430 and US 63/422,730. Such Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application has been assigned a serial number of PCT/CA2023/050003.

On May 6, 2022, Bright Minds filed a United States provisional application that has been assigned a serial number of US 63/338,889. This patent application focuses on substitutions at a particular position on an indole structure. On May 2, 2023, Bright Minds filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application that claims priority to US 63/338,889. Such Patent Cooperation Treaty patent application has been assigned a serial number of PCT/CA2023/050595.

Bright Minds is currently listed as an applicant in the following matters:

Trademarks

Bright Minds has applied to register the following trademark applications:

Web Domains

Bright Minds has use and control over the following domain names: brightmindsbio.com.

Government Regulation

Regulatory Framework

Drug products must be approved by the appropriate governing body before it can be sold in that country or area. The United States Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") approves products for the United States market and Health Canada approves products for the Canadian market. The European Medicines Agency approves products for the European Union. While the process by which products are approved by the FDA and Health Canada is very similar, each regulatory body has its own unique requirements for a product. In both cases, the development of a product through to approval can be a lengthy process and, in some cases, can take over 10 years. While early studies conducted in one jurisdiction will usually be accepted in the other, further and somewhat modified studies may be required to have a product approved in another jurisdiction.

Canadian Government Regulation

Drug products in Canada are regulated by Health Canada under the Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drugs Regulations. Health Canada regulates, among other things, research and development activities and the testing, approval, manufacture, quality control, safety, effectiveness, labeling, storage, record keeping, advertising and promotion of any product candidates or commercial products.

For a drug product to be approved in Canada, it must provide sufficient evidence of safety, efficacy and chemical quality based on preclinical investigation and Phase I, II and III clinical trials using approved and compliant manufacturing and clinical sites.

To obtain approval to market a drug in Canada, a sponsor usually requests a pre-submission meeting with the review division of Health Canada responsible for the therapeutic field. If the meeting is granted, the sponsor must submit a Pre-Submission Information package to the Therapeutic Products Directorate ("TPD") to meet with the review division. This process occurs prior to submitting the New Drug Submission ("NDS") application. The purpose of the pre-submission meeting is to review the evidence (non-clinical and clinical research, quality information, indication) that will be submitted in the NDS application.

During the drug development process, the sponsor prepares study reports. Once the sponsor releases the last study required for the submission, the sponsor completes the NDS application and submits it to the TPD. Prior to submitting the NDS and, if applicable, based on the intended use of the product in the identified patient population, the sponsor may submit in advance a request for priority review status.

After submitting the NDS application, the file undergoes a screening process prior to being accepted for review. TPD has 45 calendar days from receipt to complete the screening review process. If granted a priority review, the screening period is reduced to 25 calendar days.

After a comprehensive review of an NDS application, Health Canada will issue a Notice of Compliance ("NOC") if the product is approved or a Notice of Non-Compliance ("NON") if further questions remain. If a NOC is issued, a Drug Identification Number ("DIN") is also issued that is required to be printed on each label of the product, as well as the final version of the Product Monograph that has been agreed to between Health Canada and the sponsor.

The average target time for reaching a first decision on an NDS is 300 calendar days, unless the submission has received a priority review in which case the time is 180 calendar days. Fees are levied for a review of an NDS application.

The regulatory approval process is generally lengthy and expensive, with no guarantee of a positive result. Once approved, Health Canada continues to monitor the product and license holders have obligations related to reporting to Health Canada, record keeping and ensuring continued safety and efficacy of the product. Failure to comply with any of the above applicable regulations, regulatory authorities or other requirements may result in civil or criminal penalties, recall or seizure of products, injunctive relief including partial or total suspension of production, or withdrawal of a product from the market.

United States Government Regulation

In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the United States Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the "FDCA"), and its implementing regulations, and biologics under the FDCA and the Public Health Service Act, and its implementing regulations. FDA approval is required before any new unapproved drug or biologic or dosage form, including a new use of a previously approved drug, can be marketed in the United States. In some cases, changes to aspects of an approved drug product also require pre-approval prior to implementation of these changes. Drugs and biologics are also subject to other federal, state, and local statutes and regulations. If Bright Minds fails to comply with applicable FDA or other requirements at any time during the product development process, clinical testing, the approval process or after approval, Bright Minds may become subject to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include the FDA's refusal to approve pending applications, license suspension or revocation, withdrawal of an approval, warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, civil monetary penalties or criminal prosecution. Any FDA enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on Bright Minds.

The process required by the FDA before drug products may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:

• Completion of extensive preclinical laboratory tests and preclinical animal studies, some performed in accordance with the GLP regulations;
   
• submission to the FDA of an Investigational New Drug ("IND") Application, which must be reviewed by the FDA and become active before human clinical trials may begin and must be updated annually;
   
• approval by an independent review board ("IRB") or ethics committee representing each clinical site before each clinical trial may be initiated;
   
• performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials conducted under Good Clinical Practices ("GCP") to establish the safety and efficacy of the product candidate for each proposed indication;
   
• preparation of and submission to the FDA of a New Drug Application ("NDA") or Biologics License Application ("BLA") after completion of all pivotal clinical trials;
   
• a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA or BLA to file the application for review;

• potential review of the product application by an FDA advisory committee, where appropriate and if applicable;
   
• satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facilities where the proposed product is produced to assess compliance with current GMP ("cGMP");
   
• a potential FDA audit of the preclinical research and clinical trial sites that generated the data in support of the NDA or BLA; and
   
• FDA review and approval of an NDA or BLA prior to any commercial marketing or sale of the product in the United States.

The preclinical research, clinical testing and approval process require substantial time, effort, and financial resources, and Bright Minds cannot be certain that any approvals for the Company's product candidates will be granted on a timely basis, if at all. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans in clinical trials. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for human clinical trials. The IND also includes results of animal studies assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product; chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information; and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational new drug.

An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin in the US. An IND will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless before that time the FDA raises concerns or questions related to the proposed clinical trials. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before clinical trials can begin. Accordingly, submission of an IND may or may not result in the FDA allowing clinical trials to commence. As drug product programs continue in development, clinical trial protocols, additional preclinical testing results, and manufacturing information is submitted with the IND to facilitate discussions with the FDA and approval of additional clinical trials.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials involve the administration of the IND to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical trial. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety, and the efficacy criteria to be evaluated. A protocol for each clinical trial and any subsequent protocol amendments must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Additionally, approval must also be obtained from each clinical trial site's IRB or ethics committee, before the trials may be initiated, and the IRB or ethics committee must monitor the trial until completed. All subjects must provide informed consent prior to participating in the trial. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical trials and clinical trial results to public registries.

The clinical investigation of a drug is generally divided into three or four phases. Although the phases are usually conducted sequentially, they may overlap or be combined.

• Phase I. The drug is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or, in some cases, patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to evaluate the safety, tolerance, metabolism, pharmacokinetic and pharmacologic actions of the investigational new drug in humans, and the side effects associated with increasing doses.
   
• Phase II. The drug is administered to a limited patient population to evaluate safety and optimal dose levels for safety and efficacy, identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks, and preliminarily evaluate efficacy.
   
• Phase III. The drug is administered to an expanded patient population, generally at geographically dispersed clinical trial sites to generate sufficient data to statistically evaluate dose levels, clinical effectiveness and safety, to establish the overall benefit-risk relationship of the IND product, and to provide an adequate basis for physician labeling.
   
• Phase IV. In some cases, the FDA may conditionally approve an NDA or BLA for a drug product with the sponsor's agreement to conduct additional clinical trials after approval. In other cases, a sponsor may voluntarily conduct additional clinical trials after approval to gain more information about the drug. Such post-approval studies are typically referred to as Phase IV clinical trials.

Clinical trial sponsors must also report to the FDA, within certain timeframes: (i) serious and unexpected adverse reactions, (ii) any clinically important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator's brochure, or (iii) any findings from other studies or animal testing that suggest a significant risk in humans exposed to the product candidate. The FDA, the IRB, the ethics committee or the clinical trial sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Additionally, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or committee. This group provides authorization for whether or not a trial may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the trial.

The clinical trial process can take years to complete, and there can be no assurance that the data collected will support FDA approval or licensing of the product. Results from one trial are not necessarily predictive of results from later trials. The Company may also suspend or terminate a clinical trial based on evolving business objectives and/or competitive climate.

Submission of an NRA or BLA to the FDA

Assuming successful completion of all required preclinical studies and clinical testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, detailed IND product information is submitted to the FDA in the form of an NDA or BLA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. Under federal law, the submission of most NDAs and BLAs is subject to an application user fee. Applications for Oppositional Defiant Disorder ("ODD") products are exempted from the NDA and BLA application user fee, unless the application includes an indication for other than a rare disease or condition, and may be exempted from product and establishment user fees under certain conditions. An NDA or BLA must include all relevant data available from pertinent preclinical studies and clinical trials, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product's chemistry, manufacturing, controls, and proposed labeling, among other things. Data comes from company-sponsored clinical trials intended to test the safety and effectiveness of a use of a product, and may also come from several alternative sources, including clinical trials initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety and effectiveness of the investigational new drug product to the satisfaction of the FDA.

Once an NDA or BLA has been submitted, the FDA's goal is to review the application within ten months after it accepts the application for filing, or, if the application relates to an unmet medical need in a serious or life-threatening indication, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. The review process is often significantly extended by the FDA's requests for additional information or clarification. Before approving an NDA or BLA, the FDA typically will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA or BLA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP and related regulations.

The FDA is required to refer an NDA or BLA for a novel drug (in which no active ingredient has been approved in any other application) to an advisory committee or explain why such referral was not made. Typically, an advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, that reviews, evaluates and provides a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and the conditions thereof. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.

The FDA's Decision on an NDA or BLA

After the FDA evaluates the NDA or BLA and conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities where the product will be produced, the FDA will issue either an approval letter or a complete response letter ("Complete Response Letter"). An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete and the application is not ready for approval. To satisfy deficiencies identified in a Complete Response Letter, additional clinical data and/or an additional Phase III clinical trial(s), and/or other significant, expensive and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, preclinical studies or manufacturing may be required for the drug product.

Even if such additional information is submitted, the FDA may ultimately decide that the NDA or BLA does not satisfy the criteria for approval. The FDA could also approve the NDA or BLA with a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy, which could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The FDA may also conditionally approve a drug product subject to, among other things, changes to proposed labeling, development of adequate controls and specifications, or a commitment to conduct one or more post-market studies or clinical trials. Such post-market testing may include Phase IV clinical trials and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product's safety and effectiveness after commercialization. New government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established during the review process, or the FDA's policies may change, which could delay or prevent regulatory approval of the Company's products under development.

The Company has numerous options as it relates to contract manufactures of GMP (good manufacturing products) grade active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished products. The Company does not expect to encounter any issues sourcing raw materials nor do we foresee material volatility in raw materials and finished good pricing.

Legal Proceedings

We are not involved in, or aware of, any legal or administrative proceedings contemplated or threatened by any governmental authority or any other party that is likely to have a material adverse effect on our business. As of the date of this Annual Report, no director, officer or affiliate is a party adverse to us in any legal proceeding or has an adverse interest to us in any legal proceeding.

C. Organizational structure

The Company has two wholly-owned subsidiaries: Bright Minds Biosciences LLC, a limited liability company formed pursuant to the laws of Delaware, and Bright Minds Bioscience Pty. Ltd., a company formed pursuant to the laws of Australia. The Company owns 100% of the voting and dispositive control over each subsidiary. The following chart illustrates, as at the date of this Annual Report, the Company's subsidiaries, including their respective jurisdiction of incorporation and percentage of voting securities in each that are held by the Company either directly or indirectly:

D. Property, plant and equipment

The Company leases its executive headquarters located at 19 Vestry St., New York, NY 10013 pursuant to a lease agreement (the "Vestry Lease Agreement") between the Company and Gerep Realty Corp., as landlord, dated August 13, 2021, as amended on May 31, 2022. Pursuant to the Vestry Lease Agreement, monthly rent is US$5,510 from September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2023, and US$5,630 from September 1, 2023 to August 31, 2024, which is also when the lease expires. The Company has paid all rent in advance.

Other than the Company's executive headquarters in New York, the Company does not own or lease any other real property and it does not own any equipment. The Company's registered office is located in Vancouver, Canada. The nature of the space is immaterial to the Company's operations as physical operating activities related to research and development programs and the Company's clinical trial are primarily outsourced to trusted contract research organizations and clinical trial centres, including but not limited to the University of Texas, the Medical College of Wisconsin, and CMAX Clinical Research.

ITEM 4A. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

ITEM 5. OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

General

This Annual Report should be read in conjunction with the accompanying financial statements and related notes. The discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations are based upon the financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"), as adopted by the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB").

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with these accounting principles requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent liabilities at the financial statement date and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. On an on-going basis we review our estimates and assumptions. The estimates were based on historical experience and other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results are likely to differ from those estimates or other forward-looking statements under different assumptions or conditions, but we do not believe such differences will materially affect our financial position or results of operations. Our actual results may differ materially as a result of many factors, including those set forth under "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" herein.

Critical accounting policies, the policies we believe are most important to the presentation of our financial statements and require the most difficult, subjective and complex judgments, are outlined below under the heading "Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates", and have not changed significantly since our founding.

Figures in this Item 5 are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Overview

Bright Minds Biosciences Inc. was incorporated under the BCBCA on May 31, 2019. The Company's objective is to generate income and achieve long term profitable growth through the development of therapeutics to improve the lives of patients with certain severe and life-altering diseases. The Company's head office is located at 19 Vestry Street, New York, NY 10013.

Additional information related us is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and www.brightmindsbio.com. We do not incorporate the contents of our website or of www.sedarplus.ca into this Annual Report. Information on our website does not constitute part of this Annual Report.

Financing

Our ability to continue operations will depend on our continued ability to raise capital on acceptable terms. We incurred losses of $8,650,763 for the year ended September 30, 2021, $14,964,941 for the year ended September 30, 2022, and $7,372,225 for the year ended September 30, 2023, and anticipate incurring losses for the year ending September 30, 2024. We had negative operating cash flows of $7,024,265 for the year ended September 30, 2023 and anticipate negative operating cash flows during the year ended September 30, 2024. Although we had working capital surplus of $6,531,803, including cash and cash equivalents of $6,747,986, at September 30, 2023, we anticipate further financings through the sale of our shares. If we are not successful in raising additional capital on terms that are acceptable to us, we may be forced to curtail or cease operations.

Market conditions, trends or events

Our ability to continue operations also depends on market conditions outside of our control. Significant changes in the Canadian and United States drug and health laws may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects. The regulatory approval process is generally lengthy and expensive, with no guarantee of a positive result. Once approved, Health Canada and the FDA would continue to monitor the product and license holders have obligations related to reporting to these agencies, record keeping and ensuring continued safety and efficacy of the product. Failure to comply with any of the above applicable regulations, regulatory authorities or other requirements may result in civil or criminal penalties, recall or seizure of products, injunctive relief including partial or total suspension of production, or withdrawal of a product from the market.

A. Operating Results

Results of Operations for the Year ended September 30, 2023 as Compared to the Year Ended September 30, 2022

Revenues

Since inception, the Company has not realized any revenue.

Operating Expenses

During the year ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred a net loss of $7,372,225 compared to a net loss of $14,964,941 for the corresponding period in 2022. The increase in net loss between the two years resulted from an overall ramp up of operations. The largest expense items in net comprehensive loss are described below.

Consulting fees. Consulting fees were $207,930 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $771,329 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $563,399 was a result of a discontinuation of services from various consultants.

Foreign exchange. Foreign exchange recovery was $14,189 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $12,151 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The increase of $2,038 was a result of volatility in the foreign exchange market.

Funds processing fees. Funds processing fees were $Nil for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $Nil for the year ended September 30, 2022 because the Company did not incur any of these cost in either year.

Marketing, advertising and investor relations expenses. Marketing, advertising and investor relations expenses were $119,418 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $551,864 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $432,446 was a result of the discontinuation of certain marketing and advertising activities for the year.

Office and administrative expenses. Office and administrative expenses were $278,809 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $478,248 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $199,439 was a result of fewer overhead expenditures incurred by the Company personnel.

Professional fees. Professional fees were $437,679 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $650,196 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $212,517 was a result of the fewer instances and business activity during the current year requiring professional services in comparation to the previous year.

Regulatory and filing expenses. Regulatory and filing expenses were $186,651 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $243,079 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $56,428 was a result the non-recurring regulatory fees from the prior year listing on the Nasdaq which did not occur in the current year.

Research and development expenses. Research and development were $4,999,944 for the year ended September 30, 2023 compared to $12,180,938 for the year ended September 30, 2022. The decrease of $7,180,994 was a result of the completion of certain research and development activities in the current year.

Net Loss

As a result of the above factors, we reported a net loss for the year ended September 30, 2023 of $7,372,225, compared to a net loss of $14,964,941 for the corresponding period in 2022.

Results of Operations for the Year ended September 30, 2022 as Compared to the Year Ended September 30, 2021

Revenues

Since inception, the Company has not realized any revenue.

Operating Expenses

During the year ended September 30, 2022, the Company incurred a net loss of $14,964,941 compared to a net loss of $8,650,763 for the corresponding period in 2021. The increase in net loss between the two years resulted from an overall ramp up of operations. The largest expense items in net comprehensive loss are described below.

Consulting fees. Consulting fees were $771,329 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $394,624 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The increase of $376,705 was a result of hiring various consultant to assist in day to day operations.

Foreign exchange. Foreign exchange recovery was $12,151 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $154,099 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The decrease of $141,948 was as a result of volatility in the foreign exchange market.

Funds processing fees. Funds processing fees were $Nil for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $18,665 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The decrease of $18,665 was a result of higher fees relating to the increase in financing activity for the previous year in comparison to the current year.

Marketing, advertising and investor relations expenses. Marketing, advertising and investor relations expenses were $551,864 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $852,151 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The decreaseof $300,287 was a result of the Company reducing its marketing expenditures in its second year of operations. In the previous year of operation, the Company executed awareness and marketing campaigns as a new company.

Office and administrative expenses. Office and administrative expenses were $478,248 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $197,125 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The increase of $281,123 was a result of increased overhead administrative activities supporting the ramp up of operations.

Professional fees. Professional fees were $650,196 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $709,954 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The decrease of $59,758 was a result of non-recurring legal fees related to its listing on the CSE in the previous year.

Regulatory and filing expenses. Regulatory and filing expenses were $243,079 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $181,743 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The increase of $61,336 was a result of additional fees being listed on the Nasdaq.

Research and development expenses. Research and development were $12,180,938 for the year ended September 30, 2022 compared to $6,313,988 for the year ended September 30, 2021. The increase of $5,866,950 was a result of continued development across all drug pipelines.

Net Loss

As a result of the above factors, we reported a net loss for the year ended September 30, 2022 of $14,964,941, compared to a net loss of $8,650,763 for the corresponding period in 2021.

B. Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity

The Company's financial success is dependent upon its ability to market and sell its products and solutions; and to raise sufficient working capital to enable the Company to execute its business plan. The Company's historical capital needs have been met by internally generated cash flow from operations and the support of its shareholders. There is no assurance that equity funding will be possible at the times required by the Company. If no funds are able to be raised and sales of its products and solutions do not produce sufficient net cash flow, then the Company may require a significant curtailing of operations to ensure its survival.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which assumes that the Company will be able to realize its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business for the foreseeable future. The Company incurred a net loss of $7,372,225 during the year ended September 30, 2023, and had a cash and cash equivalents balance and a working capital surplus of $6,747,986 and $6,531,803, respectively, as at September 30, 2023. There can be no assurance that funding from this or other sources will be sufficient in the future to continue its operations. Even if the Company is able to obtain new financing, it may not be on commercially reasonable terms or terms that are acceptable to it. Failure to obtain such financing on a timely basis could cause the Company to reduce or terminate its operations.

As of September 30, 2023, the Company had 3,772,072 issued and outstanding shares and 5,386,954 shares on a fully-diluted basis. The Company began trading on Canadian Stock Exchange on February 8, 2021 and began trading on Nasdaq on November 8, 2021.

The Company had $6,531,803, of working capital surplus as at September 30, 2023, compared to $10,475,632 of working capital surplus as at September 30, 2022. The decrease in working capital resulted from decreased capital raises in the current year

Capital Resources

As at September 30, 2023, the Company had cash of $6,747,986 (September 30, 2022: $11,627,913). The Company continues to pursue additional equity financing although there can be no guarantees given that the Company will be successful in such endeavors.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of the Company's financial statements requires management to use estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities as well as revenue and expenses. These are based on the best information available at the time utilizing generally accepted industry standards.

Significant estimates and assumptions

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires management to make estimates, judgments and assumptions that affect the application of accounting policies and the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates. Estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognized in the period in which the estimates are revised and in any future periods affected.

Certain of the Company's accounting policies and disclosures require key assumptions concerning the future and other estimates that have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities or disclosures within the next fiscal year. Where applicable, further information about the assumptions made is disclosed in the notes specific to that asset or liability. The critical accounting estimates and judgments set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these financial statements.

Significant judgements

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with IFRS requires the Company to make judgements, apart from those involving estimates, in applying accounting policies. The most significant judgements in applying the Company's financial statements include:

• the classification of financial instruments; and
• the calculation of deferred income taxes require judgement in interpreting tax rules and regulations.

Financial Instruments

Financial instruments are accounted for in accordance with IFRS 9, "Financial Instruments: Classification and Measurement". A financial instrument is any contract that gives rise to a financial asset of one entity and a financial liability or equity instrument of another entity.

Financial assets

(a) Recognition and measurement of financial assets

The Company recognizes a financial asset when it becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

(b) Classification of financial assets

The Company classifies financial assets at initial recognition as financial assets: measured at amortized cost, measured at fair value through other comprehensive income ("FVTOCI") or measured at fair value through profit or loss ("FVTPL").

i. Financial assets measured at amortized cost

A financial asset that meets both of the following conditions is classified as a financial asset measured at amortized cost:

• The Company's business model for such financial assets is to hold the assets in order to collect contractual cash flows.
• The contractual terms of the financial asset give rise on specified dates to cash flows that are solely payments of principal and interest on the amount outstanding.

A financial asset measured at amortized cost is initially recognized at fair value plus transaction costs directly attributable to the asset. After initial recognition, the carrying amount of the financial asset measured at amortized cost is determined using the effective interest method, net of impairment loss, if necessary.

ii. Financial assets measured at FVTOCI

A financial asset measured at fair value through other comprehensive income is recognized initially at fair value plus transaction costs directly attributable to the asset. After initial recognition, the asset is measured at fair value with changes in fair value included as "financial asset at fair value through other comprehensive income" in other comprehensive income or loss.

iii. Financial assets measured at FVTPL

A financial asset measured at fair value through profit or loss is initially recognized at fair value with any associated transaction costs being recognized in profit or loss when incurred. Subsequently, the financial asset is re-measured at fair value and a gain or loss is recognized in profit or loss in the reporting period in which it arises.

The Company's cash is classified as subsequently measured at FVTPL.

(c) Derecognition of financial assets

The Company derecognizes a financial asset if the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire, or the Company transfers substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership of the financial asset. Any interests in transferred financial assets that are created or retained by the Company are recognized as a separate asset or liability. Gains and losses on derecognition are generally recognized in the statement of comprehensive loss. However, gains and losses on derecognition of financial assets classified as FVTOCI remain within accumulated other comprehensive income or loss.

Financial liabilities

(a) Recognition and measurement of financial liabilities

The Company recognizes a financial liability when it becomes a party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

(b) Classification of financial liabilities

i. Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost

A financial liability measured at amortized cost is initially measured at fair value less transaction costs directly attributable to the issuance of the financial liability. Subsequently, the financial liability is measured at amortized cost using the effective interest method.

The Company's accounts payable and accrued liabilities are classified as subsequently measured at amortized cost.

ii. Financial liabilities measured at fair value through profit or loss

A financial liability measured at fair value through profit or loss is initially measured at fair value with any associated transaction costs being recognized in profit or loss when incurred. Subsequently, the financial liability is re-measured at fair value and a gain or loss is recognized in profit or loss in the reporting period in which it arises.

(c) Derecognition of financial liabilities

The Company derecognizes a financial liability when the financial liability is discharged, cancelled or expired. Generally, the difference between the carrying amount of the financial liability derecognized and the consideration paid and payable, including any non-cash assets transferred or liabilities assumed, is recognized in the statement of comprehensive loss.

Offsetting financial assets and liabilities

Financial assets and liabilities are offset and the net amount is presented in the statement of financial position only when the Company has a legally enforceable right to offset the recognized amounts and intends either to settle on a net basis, or to realize the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Impairment of financial assets

The Company recognizes a loss allowance for expected credit losses on financial assets that are measured at amortized cost.

At each reporting date, the Company measures the loss allowance for the financial asset at an amount equal to the lifetime expected credit losses if the credit risk on the financial asset has increased significantly since initial recognition. If at the reporting date, the financial asset has not increased significantly since initial recognition, the Company measures the loss allowance for the financial asset at an amount equal to the twelve-month expected credit losses. The Company recognizes in the statement of comprehensive income or loss, as an impairment loss (or gain), the amount of expected credit losses (or reversal) that is required to adjust the loss allowance at the reporting date to the amount that is required to be recognized.

Share-based payments

Share-based compensation expense relates to stock options as well as cash and equity settled restricted share units ("RSUs"). The grant date fair values of stock options and equity settled RSUs granted are recognized as an expense, with a corresponding increase in reserves in equity, over the vesting period. The amount recognized as an expense is based on the estimate of the number of awards expected to vest, which is revised if subsequent information indicates that actual forfeitures are likely to differ from the estimate. Upon exercise of stock options, the consideration paid by the holder is included in share capital and the related reserves associated with the stock options exercised is reclassified into share capital. Upon vesting of equity settled RSUs, the related reserves associated with the RSU is reclassified into share capital.

For cash settled RSUs, the fair value of the RSUs is recognized as share-based compensation expense, with a corresponding increase in accrued liabilities over the vesting period. The amount recognized as an expense is based on the estimate of the number of RSUs expected to vest. Cash settled RSUs are measured at their fair value at each reporting period on a mark-to-market basis. Upon vesting of the cash settled RSUs, the liability is reduced by the cash payout.

Share-based payments are included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss on a functional account basis.

Research and development expenses

Research costs are expensed when incurred. Development costs, including direct material, direct labor and contract service costs, are capitalized as intangible assets when: we can demonstrate that the technical feasibility of a project has been established; when we intend to complete the asset for use or sale and have the ability to do so; when the asset can generate probable future economic benefits; when the technical and financial resources are available to complete the development; and when we can reliably measure the expenditure attributable to the intangible asset during its development. After initial recognition, internally generated intangible assets are recorded at cost less accumulated amortization and accumulated impairment losses. These costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life. To date the Company did not have any development costs that met the capitalization criteria.

Income taxes

Current Income Tax

Current income tax assets and liabilities for the current period are measured at the amount expected to be recovered from or paid to the taxation authorities. The tax rates and tax laws used to compute the amount are those that are enacted or substantively enacted, at the reporting date, in the countries where the Company operates and generates taxable income.

Deferred Tax

Deferred tax is provided on temporary differences at the reporting date between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying amounts for financial reporting purposes. The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at the end of each reporting period and recognized only to the extent that it is probable that sufficient taxable profit will be available to allow all or part of the deferred tax asset to be utilized.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured at the tax rates that are expected to apply to the year when the asset is realized or the liability is settled, based on tax rates (and tax laws) that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting period. Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are offset if a legally enforceable right exists to set off current tax assets against current income tax liabilities and the deferred taxes relate to the same taxable entity and the same taxation authority.

C. Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.

The following table summarizes the material components of research and development expenditure across its drug portfolio for the years ended September 30, 2023, 2022, and 2021:

D. Trend Information

Due to our short operating history, except as noted below, we are not aware of any trends that have or are reasonably likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources that is material to investors.

E. Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The Company has no off-balance sheet arrangements nor does it have any transactions, arrangements, obligations (including contingent obligations) or other relationships with any unconsolidated entities or other persons that may have material current or future effect on financial conditions, changes in the financial conditions, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, capital resources or significant components of revenue or expenses.

F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations

The following table provides the Company's contractual obligations:

ITEM 6. DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES

A. Directors and Senior Management

____________________
Notes

(1) Member of the Audit Committee.

(2) Member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

(3) Member of the Compensation Committee.

(4) Member of Corporate Disclosure Committee.

Business Experience

The following summarizes the occupation and business experience during the past five years or more for our directors and executive officers as of the date of this Annual Report:

Ian McDonald, President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Mr. McDonald is an entrepreneur and former investment banker. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. McDonald served on the management team at a TSX-listed gold mining company. In that capacity, Mr. McDonald developed and implemented the corporate strategy as it relates to M&A and capital markets resulting in a $160 million sale within one year. Previously, he worked in a senior role at a Canadian investment bank and in private equity in Vancouver, London and Toronto. Under Mr. McDonald's guidance, clients raised hundreds of millions of dollars in capital. Mr. McDonald has served as a member of the board of directors of several TSX Venture Exchange, CSE listed and private companies.

Ryan Cheung, Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Cheung is the founder and managing partner of MCPA Services Inc., Chartered Professional Accountants, in Vancouver, B.C. Leveraging his experience as a former auditor of junior venture and resource companies, Mr. Cheung serves as a director and officer or consultant for public and private companies, providing financial reporting, taxation and strategic guidance.

He has been an active member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (formerly Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia) since January 2008. Mr. Cheung holds a diploma in accounting from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Commerce in international business from the University of Victoria.

Dr. Mark A. Smith, Chief Medical Officer

Prior to joining the Company, Dr. Smith was Chief Medical Officer at VistaGen Therapeutics, where he led the clinical development of drug candidates in the areas of major depression, social anxiety disorder, and depression through all phases of development. Previously, Dr. Smith served as the Clinical Lead for Neuropsychiatry at Teva Pharmaceuticals, where he was accountable for the strategy and clinical development of neuropsychiatric drugs with a focus on schizophrenia, sleep disorders, and agitation. He also held a range of director positions, including as Executive Director of Clinical Development at AstraZeneca Pharmaceutical Company, where he led the development of several novel chemical entities targeting treatment-resistant depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia.

Dr. Smith was also Senior Director of Experimental Medicine of Global Clinical Development and Innovation at Shire Pharmaceuticals and Senior Investigator and Principal Research Scientist of CNS Diseases at DuPont Pharmaceuticals. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, he served as a Senior Staff Scientist of the Biological Psychiatry Branch and Senior Staff Fellow of the Clinical Neuroendocrinology Branch at the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Dr. Smith received his Bachelor's degree and Master of Science from Yale University, his Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy in Physiology and Pharmacology from the University of California, San Diego, and completed his residency in the Department of Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center. He currently serves on the National Institute of Mental Health Translational Neuropsychopharmacology Task Force

Nils Christian Bottler, Director

Mr. Bottler is a venture capitalist currently working at Think.Health Ventures as an associate partner. The company focuses on investment in early-stage start-ups in the fields of digital health and medical device technology. Think.Health supports its portfolio beyond financial investment with knowledge, experience and access to an extensive business network. Mr. Bottler's prior work experience was in the banking industry working mainly on M&A projects as well as on a number of consulting projects in Germany, China, the UK, and the United Arab Emirates. He then moved to digital media and analyzed, developed and executed new business models at the Axel Springer SE in Berlin before taking a deep dive into the German health care market as SVP RHÖN-Innovations and the premier hospital chain RHÖNKLINIKUM AG.

Jeremy Fryzuk, Director

Mr. Fryzuk is a private equity investment professional based in London. He has over 10 years of experience in private equity. He started his career in investment banking in Toronto with BMO Capital Markets. Mr. Fryzuk holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Finance from Dalhousie University in Canada.

Jan Pedersen, Director and Chief Science Officer

Jan Pedersen, PhD, MSc, is an innovative and highly experienced leader in drug discovery research, with more than 25 years of expertise in neuroscience research management. Dr. Pedersen's academic interests include neurodegeneration, bioinformatics, biophysics and drug discovery R&D. He is the founder of Torleif Science ApS, a consultancy company aimed at delivering innovation and new ideas in neuroscience. Prior to that, Dr. Pedersen spent 20 years at Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company specialized in brain diseases, in positions of increasing responsibility, including building its neurodegeneration/Alzheimer's disease pipeline, and bringing research programs to the clinic. Dr. Pedersen received an MSc in Chemistry from DTU - Technical University of Denmark, and a PhD in biophysics from the University of Bath.

David Weiner, Director

Dr. Weiner has over 25 years of experience in the discovery and clinical development of novel therapeutics for neurological, psychiatric and rare diseases. He began his career at ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, where he held a series of discovery research and clinical development roles working on multiple central nervous system (CNS) therapeutics, most notably pimavanserin, a 5-HT2A receptor inverse agonist, which is approved for the treatment of Parkinson's disease psychosis. Dr. Weiner also served as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Proteostasis Therapeutics, CMO at aTyr Pharma and Lumos Pharma, CEO at Amathus Therapeutics, and as an independent board member and senior executive at Eleusis, a company focused on therapeutic development of psychedelics and novel 5-HT2A receptor agonists. He has authored more than 30 scientific publications and patents and serves on multiple clinical and scientific advisory boards, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinsons Research. He received his M.D. from the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY at Buffalo, was a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Scholar at the NIH, trained in neurology at New York Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Cornell Medical Center, and did a post-doctoral fellowship in neuropharmacology at the University of Vermont.

Family Relationships

There are no family relationships among any of our directors and executive officers.

Term of Office

All appointments of officers are to be made on the terms and conditions and at the remuneration (whether by way of salary, fee, commission, participation in profits or otherwise) that the Board thinks fit and are subject to termination at the pleasure of the Board, and an officer may in addition to such remuneration be entitled to receive, after he or she ceases to hold such office or leaves the employment of the Company, a pension or gratuity. The Board may, from time to time, appoint such officers, if any, as it determines and the Board may, at any time, terminate any such appointment.

Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings

Except as disclosed below, during the past ten years, none of our directors or executive officers have been the subject of the following events:

1. a petition under the Federal bankruptcy laws or any state insolvency law was filed by or against, or a receiver, fiscal agent or similar officer was appointed by a court for the business or property of such person, or any partnership in which he was a general partner at or within two years before the time of such filing, or any corporation or business association of which he was an executive officer at or within two years before the time of such filing;

2. convicted in a criminal proceeding or is a named subject of a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);

3. the subject of any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining him from, or otherwise limiting, the following activities:

(a) acting as a futures commission merchant, introducing broker, commodity trading advisor, commodity pool operator, floor broker, leverage transaction merchant, any other person regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, or an associated person of any of the foregoing, or as an investment adviser, underwriter, broker or dealer in securities, or as an affiliated person, director or employee of any investment company, bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, or engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice in connection with such activity;

(b) engaging in any type of business practice; or

(c) engaging in any activity in connection with the purchase or sale of any security or commodity or in connection with any violation of Federal or State securities laws or Federal commodities laws;

4. the subject of any order, judgment or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any Federal or State authority barring, suspending or otherwise limiting for more than 60 days the right of such person to engage in any activity described in paragraph 3.i in the preceding paragraph or to be associated with persons engaged in any such activity;

5. was found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the SEC to have violated any Federal or State securities law, and the judgment in such civil action or finding by the SEC has not been subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated;

6. was found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action or by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to have violated any Federal commodities law, and the judgment in such civil action or finding by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has not been subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated;

7. was the subject of, or a party to, any Federal or State judicial or administrative order, judgment, decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of:

(a) any Federal or State securities or commodities law or regulation;

(b) any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies including, but not limited to, a temporary or permanent injunction, order of disgorgement or restitution, civil money penalty or temporary or permanent cease-and-desist order, or removal or prohibition order, or

(c) any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or

8. was the subject of, or a party to, any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization (as defined in Section 3(a)(26) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(26))), any registered entity (as defined in Section 1(a)(29) of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 1(a)(29))), or any equivalent exchange, association, entity or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member.

Mr. Ryan Cheung is currently the CFO of DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. ("DMG"), a company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. DMG was issued a failure-to-file cease trade order on February 1, 2019 by the British Columbia Securities Commission (the "BCSC") for failing to file its annual audited financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2018 and the related management's discussion and analysis and certification. This failure-to-file cease trade order was revoked on August 28, 2019.

Mr. Cheung was formerly the CFO, CEO and a director of Xemplar Energy Corp. ("Xemplar"), a company previously listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and currently listed on the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange. Xemplar was issued a failure-to-file cease trade order on May 8, 2015 by the BCSC for failing to file its annual audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the related management's discussion and analysis and certification. Xemplar was issued another failure-to-file cease trade order on August 7, 2015 by the Alberta Securities Commission for failing to file its annual audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 and the related management's discussion and analysis and certification, as well as the interim unaudited financial statements for the period ended March 31, 2015 and the related management's discussion and analysis and certification. Both failure-to-file cease trade orders have not been revoked as of the date of this Annual Report. Mr. Cheung resigned as CFO on April 30, 2013 and resigned as CEO and director on April 28, 2015.

Director Independence

Our Board of Directors has determined that the following directors are independent as such directors do not have a direct or indirect material relationship with our Company. A "material relationship" is a relationship which could, in the view of our Board of Directors, be reasonably expected to interfere with the exercise of a director's independent judgment.

• David Weiner;

• Nils Bottler; and

• Jeremy Fryzuk.

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

The Board has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the "Code of Ethics") that applies to all of our employees and officers, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller or persons performing similar functions. The Code of Ethics meets the requirements for a "code of ethics" within the meaning of that term in Item 16B of Form 20-F. A copy of our Code of Ethics will be provided to any person without charge upon request. All requests for a copy of our Code of Ethics should be directed in writing to the attention of Ian McDonald at ian@brightmindsbio.com.

Board Diversity Matrix

The table below reports self-identified diversity statistics for the Board of the Company as required by NASDAQ Rule 5606:

Under Nasdaq listing rule 5605(f), the Company is required to (i) have at least one diverse director, or (ii) explain why it does not have at least one diverse director on its Board. The Company currently has one diverse director.

B. Compensation

Compensation Discussion and Analysis

This section sets out the objectives of our Company's executive compensation arrangements, our Company's executive compensation philosophy and the application of this philosophy to our Company's executive compensation arrangements. It also provides an analysis of the compensation design, and the decisions that the Board of Directors made in fiscal 2023 with respect to its Named Executive Officers (as herein defined). When determining the compensation arrangements for the Named Executive Officers, our Compensation Committee considers the objectives of: (i) retaining an executive critical to the success of the Company and the enhancement of shareholder value; (ii) providing fair and competitive compensation; (iii) balancing the interests of management and our Company's shareholders; and (iv) rewarding performance, both on an individual basis and with respect to the business in general.

Elements of the Compensation Program

The responsibilities relating to executive and director compensation, including reviewing and recommending compensation of the Company's officers and employees and overseeing the Company's base compensation structure and equity-based compensation program is performed by the Board and the Compensation Committee. The Board and Compensation Committee also assumes responsibility for reviewing and monitoring the long-range compensation strategy for the Company's senior management. The Compensation Committee generally reviews the compensation of senior management on an annual basis taking into account compensation paid by other issuers of similar size and activity and the performance of officers generally and in light of the Company's goals and objectives.

The Company is a small biotechnology company with limited resources. The compensation for senior management of the Company is designed to ensure that the level and form of compensation achieves certain objectives, including: (a) attracting and retaining talented, qualified and effective executives; (b) motivating the short and long-term performance of executives; and (c) better aligning the interests of executive officers with those of the Company's shareholders. In the Board's view, paying salaries which are competitive in the markets in which the Company operates is a first step to attracting and retaining talented, qualified and effective executives. Competitive salary information on comparable companies is compiled from a variety of sources, including national and international publications. Further, the Board believes that to attract and retain qualified and effective executives the Company must pay base salaries which are reasonable in relation to the level of service expected while remaining competitive in the markets in which the Company operates.

The Compensation Committee determines the compensation for the CEO and for the Company's other officers. In each case, the Compensation Committee takes into consideration the executive's performance in light of established goals and objectives, prior experience of the executive, industry standards, competitive salary information on comparable companies of similar size and stage of development, the degree of responsibility and participation of the executive in the day-to-day affairs of the Company, and the Company's available cash resources.

The Board an has assessed the Company's compensation plans and programs for its executive officers to ensure alignment with the Company's business plan and to evaluate the potential risks associated with those plans and programs. The Board has concluded that the compensation policies and practices do not create any risks that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Board considers the risks associated with executive compensation and corporate incentive plans when designing and reviewing such plans and programs.

The Company has not adopted a policy restricting its executive officers or directors from purchasing financial instruments that are designated to hedge or offset a decrease in market value of equity securities granted as compensation or held, directly or indirectly, by its executive officers or directors. To the knowledge of the Company, none of the executive officers or directors has purchased such financial instruments.

Philosophy and Objectives

The compensation program for the senior management of the Company is designed within this context with a view that the level and form of compensation achieves certain objectives, including:

• attracting and retaining qualified executives;

• motivating the short and long-term performance of these executives; and

• better aligning their interests with those of the Company's shareholders.

Base Salary or Consulting Fees

In the Board's view, paying base salaries which are reasonable in relation to the level of service expected while remaining competitive in the markets in which the Company operates is a first step to attracting and retaining qualified and effective executives.

Base salary ranges for the executive officers were initially determined upon a review of companies within the biotechnology industry, which were of the same size as the Company, at the same stage of development as the Company and considered comparable to the Company.

In determining the base salary of an executive officer, the Compensation Committee considers the following factors:

• the particular responsibilities related to the position;

• salaries paid by other companies in the biotechnology industry which were similar in size as the Company;

• the experience level of the executive officer;

• the amount of time and commitment which the executive officer devotes to the Company; and

• the executive officer's overall performance and performance in relation to the achievement of corporate milestones and objectives.

Executive Compensation

Except for the grant of incentive share options and restricted share unit awards to the NEOs and any compensation payable pursuant to an executive compensation agreement between the CEO or CFO and the Company, there are no arrangements under which NEOs were compensated by the Company during the two most recently completed financial years for their services in their capacity as NEOs, directors or consultants.

Director Compensation

The directors receive no cash compensation for acting in their capacity as directors of the Company.

Except for the grant to directors of stock options and restricted share unit awards, there are no arrangements under which directors were compensated by the Company during the two most recently completed financial years for their services in their capacity as directors.

Bonus Incentive Compensation

The Company's objective is to achieve certain strategic objectives and milestones. The Compensation Committee considers executive bonus compensation dependent upon the Company meeting those strategic objectives and milestones and sufficient cash resources being available for the granting of bonuses. The Compensation Committee approves executive bonus compensation dependent upon compensation levels based on recommendations of the CEO. Such recommendations are generally based on information provided by issuers that are similar in size and scope to the Company's operations.

Equity Compensation

The Company believes that encouraging its executives and consultants to become shareholders is the best way of aligning their interests with those of its shareholders. Equity participation is accomplished through the Company's existing stock option plan and its restricted share unit plan. Stock options and RSUs are granted to executives and employees taking into account a number of factors, including the amount and term of options and RSUs previously granted, base salary and bonuses and competitive factors. The amounts and terms of options and RSUs granted are determined by the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committee based on recommendations put forward by the CEO. Prior to the establishment of the Compensation and Corporate Governance Committee, grants of stock options and RSUs were considered and approved by the board of directors of the Company.

Compensation Review Process

The Company's Compensation Committee reviews the Company's compensation guidelines and structure. More specifically, the Compensation Committee:

• annually reviews and approves the corporate goals and objectives with respect to compensation for the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and evaluates the Chief Executive's performance in light of these established goals and objectives. Based upon these evaluations the Compensation Committee sets the Chief Executive Officer's annual compensation, including salary, bonus, incentive and equity compensation. The Chief Executive Officer is not present when their compensation is considered or determined by the Compensation Committee;

• annually reviews and approves the evaluation process and compensation structure for the Company's other officers including salary, bonus, incentive and equity compensation and evaluates their individual performance in light of these established goals and objectives. Based upon their evaluations the Compensation Committee set the officer's annual compensation, including salary, bonus, incentive and equity compensation. No officer may be present when their compensation is considered or determined by the Compensation Committee;

• annually reviews the Company's incentive compensation and other equity-based plans and recommends changes in such plans to the Board as needed; and

• periodically reviews and makes recommendations to the Board regarding the compensation of non-management directors, including Board and Committee retainers, meeting fees, equity-based compensation and such other forms of compensation and benefits as the Compensation Committee may consider appropriate.

Risks Associated with the Company's Compensation Program

The Company's directors have not considered the implications of any risks to the Company associated with decisions regarding the Company's compensation program. The Company intends to formalize its compensation policies and practices and will take into consideration the implications of the risks associated with the Company's compensation program and how it might mitigate those risks.

The Company did not retain a compensation consultant during financial years ending September 30, 2023, September 30, 2022 or September 30, 2021.

Benefits and Perquisites

The Company does not, as of the date of this Annual Report offer any benefits or perquisites to its NEOs other than potential grants of incentive stock options and RSUs as otherwise disclosed and discussed herein.

Hedging by Directors or NEOs

The Company has adopted a policy restricting directors, officers and employees of the Company from hedging or monetizing transactions to lock in the value of holdings in securities (whether debt or equity) of the Company. The objective of the policy is to prohibit individuals subject to the policy from (i) directly or indirectly engaging in the hedging against future declines in the market value of any securities of the Company (including through the purchase of financial instruments designed to offset such risk), and (ii) pledging Company securities as collateral for a loan (whether in a margin account or otherwise).

As of the date of this Annual Report, entitlement to grants of incentive stock options under the Option Plan (as defined herein) and unit awards under the RSU Plan (as defined herein) are the only equity security elements awarded by the Company to its executive officers and directors.

Pension Disclosure

The Company does not have a pension plan that provides for payments or benefits to the NEOs at, following, or in connection with retirement.

Summary Compensation Table