For FY, 2024, Tripp increased gross revenue by 11% and increased gross profit by 10%. December was a particularly good month, too, with net sales per download increasing by 291%.

Cumulative mobile installs for 2024 grew 39%, and for Q4, mobile downloads were up 107% YoY.

Enthea also came in with some solid news. This provider of safe and affordable psychedelic-assisted therapy has landed some pretty impressive contracts over the last two months, including…

• A New York-based healthcare network representing unions with 135,000 members
• A healthcare facilitator representing 100,000 members
• Multiple electrical unions representing around 35,000 members
• A local teamsters union representing 29,000 members

A North American chain of convenience stores and a major government healthcare infrastructure contractor are also on track to go live in January, 2026. This would add another 50,000 customers.

And last but not least, Fluence, one of the largest continuing education organizations in the fields of psychedelic integration and psychedelic-assisted therapy, increased 2024 revenues  nearly 50% YoY, with B2B revenue more than doubling (+110%).

We’re only two months into the new year, and things are moving along splendidly. In fact, we have two new announcements coming in the next few weeks. One involves a major deal that one of our portfolio companies just solidified, and the other is a new, incredibly valuable addition to the JLS portfolio. We’ll have more information on those two announcements soon. Until then, let’s get to this week’s news …

A new study was published in JAMA Psychiatry which showed that weekly injections of semaglutide – compared with placebo injections – reduced alcohol craving, drinking quantity and the frequency of heavy drinking days in adults with symptoms of alcohol use disorder (AUD).

A key finding was that the magnitude of semaglutide’s effects on several drinking outcomes appeared potentially greater than is often seen in similar studies with existing AUD medications, even though semaglutide was only administered at the lowest clinical doses.

As a side note, researchers also discovered that a small subgroup of smokers using semaglutide were able to reduce cigarette consumption. Check it out: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2829811

Silo Pharma announced an update from its ongoing study evaluating the pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of SP-26.  This is the company’s ketamine extended-release rods implanted subcutaneously.

The study launched in December, 2024 with the first dosing completed during the first week of January.  Results show that there were no serious side effects of discomfort, and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion testing is nearing completion.  The final safety and pharmacokinetic reports are expected to be released next month. Here’s more: https://ir.silopharma.com/news-releases/

A new study was published in the journal Current Biology, indicating the discovery of brain signals linked to preferences for sweets. 

Researchers at Stony Brook University used genetic manipulation in a laboratory brain model to demonstrate that neurosteroids, signals involved in mood regulation and stress, can reduce the sensitivity and preference for sweet tastes when elevated within the gustatory cortex – a region in the brain most involved with taste. 
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Ongoing research is underway, exploring whether neurosteroids only regulate sweet taste sensation or contribute to the perception of other tastes, and/or how changes in taste sensitivity influences eating habits. The ability to manipulate these signals could lead to new treatments for obesity and eating disorders. Check it out: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)00065-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS096098222500065X%3Fshowall%3Dtrue

Did you know that working out could prevent dementia?

According to a study published in the journal, Aging Cell, specialized brain cells involved in the body’s insulin response are activated after exercise.  

Conducted in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging, researchers focused on the role of neuronal extracellular vesicles. These are specialized cells released by the brain.

For this study, scientists targeted vesicles produced in the brain that ferry several proteins involved in insulin sensitivity – one of which is called Akt.

Researchers were able to study the vesicles by isolating them in the blood of participants in an experimental study. 

The participants ingested a glucose drink before and after training. Researchers then collected blood samples before and during the drink from the participants at the start and end of exercise training.

The blood samples showed that the number of neuronal vesicles carrying proteins involved in insulin sensitivity increased after each training, with Akt being the most notable.

Steven Malin, an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health in the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study said…

We showed for the first time that exercise impacts insulin signaling from neuronal extracellular vesicles in relation to clinical improvements in blood sugar. And we use these neuronal extracellular vesicles as an indicator of brain insulin sensitivity. Exercise, therefore, is potentially able to improve the brain’s capacity to respond to insulin for neuronal function.

You can read more about this study here: https://scitechdaily.com/groundbreaking-new-research-reveals-how-working-out-could-prevent-dementia/