Atai co-founder headlines a four-day online program spanning 100+ countries, November 2–8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | October 19, 2026
SAN FRANCISCO — October 19, 2026 — Christian Angermayer, co-founder of atai Life Sciences and founder of Apeiron Investment Group, will speak publicly about Eli Lilly’s acquisition of AtaiBeckley at Global Psychedelic Week (GPW) 2026. The deal is valued at up to $3.8 billion and is the largest psychedelic buyout to date. The session, “Lessons from the Largest Deal in Psychedelics” takes place during GPW’s industry conference on November 6.
Lilly announced the deal in July. It was the company’s first move into psychedelic medicine and centered on BPL-003, a 5-MeO-DMT candidate for treatment-resistant depression. The acquisition has fueled debate across the field about Big Pharma’s role in psychedelic development.
“We know psychedelics work. We’ve proven it. Lilly is the right company to take these substances now and really roll them out for mental health. What is completely overlooked and underinvested is neurodegenerative disease.”
— Christian Angermayer, Founder, Apeiron Investment Group
Not a conference. A global week.
GPW doesn’t fly everyone to one city. It runs a virtual main program alongside locally hosted events worldwide, all connected on one global map. The 2026 online program has four themes:
Nov 2: Psychedelics: Longevity, Consciousness & Human Potential
Nov 3: Psychedelics & Society: Culture, Policy, Equity & Community
Nov 5: Psychedelic Substances: regulation, research, and ethics
Nov 6: The Psychedelic Industry: Business, Innovation & AI
“When the world’s largest drugmaker buys a psychedelic company, the field changes overnight. Global Psychedelic Week exists so that researchers, investors, Indigenous knowledge holders, and policymakers can shape what happens next together, not in separate rooms.”
— Milica Radovic Mandic, Organizer of Global Psychedelic Week
The numbers behind the momentum
The first edition, in 2025, drew 5,000+ participants from 100+ countries, 140+ speakers, 120+ partners, and 105 in-person events. Its media coverage reached a combined audience of 1.3 million. Past speakers include MAPS founder Rick Doblin, neuroscientist Robin Carhart-Harris, and Shipibo-Konibo healer Olga Mori Diaz.
A week that gives back
5% of every ticket goes to María Sabina’s family and to organizations helping veterans heal through psychedelic therapy.
Online passes start at $28 at globalpsychedelicweek.com.
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About Global Psychedelic Week
Global Psychedelic Week is a week-long gathering of online and in-person events around the world. Last year it brought together 5,000 people from 100 countries, with 105 in-person events in a single week. This year's program includes keynotes, panels, and fireside conversations across four themed days, with Psychedelic Business Day on November 6 focusing on business, innovation, AI, and the future of the field.
Register: LINK
About Christian Angermayer
Christian Angermayer is a German entrepreneur and investor, and a co-founder of Atai, which merged with Beckley Psytech in 2025 to form AtaiBeckley. He is one of the most visible investors in psychedelic medicine.
About Milica Radovic Mandic
Milica Radovic Mandic is the Founder of Bizdelics and the organizer of Global Psychedelic Week. She is a digital marketing and brand strategist with more than ten years of experience across technology, wellness, and emerging therapies.
Media contact
Milica Radovic Mandic
Founder, Bizdelics | Organizer, Global Psychedelic Week
milica@bizdelics.com
Press passes and interviews with GPW organizers are available on request.
