Brain Scanning Technology to be Used for Psychedelic Clinical Trials in Pioneering London Start-Up Partnership

Psychedelics researchers running trials at Clerkenwell Health’s new London site will have access to MYndspan’s non-invasive brain scanning technology – providing unprecedented insight into the impact of psychedelics on the human brain.

Using Magnetoencephalogy (MEG) brain scanning technology, MYndspan provides an accurate measure of a participant’s brain activity and function, giving insights into the complex ways in which psychedelic treatments affect the brain.

The pioneering start-up partnership places London firmly at the center of Europe’s nascent medical psychedelics sector.

One in four people in the UK will experience a mental health concern; the partnership will support the development of clinical psychedelic treatments to treat conditions such as depression and PTSD.

See the full press release below.

Brain Scanning Technology to Be Used for Clinical Psychedelics Trials in Pioneering London Start-up Partnership

• British start-up Clerkenwell Health, Europe’s first commercial psychedelic clinical trials facility, and brain wellness and analytics company MYndspan, are partnering to advance the application of psychedelics in medicine.

• Psychedelics researchers running trials at Clerkenwell Health’s new London site will have access to MYndspan’s non-invasive brain scanning technology.

• This first-of-its-kind partnership will give researchers unprecedented insight into the impact of psychedelics on the human brain.

• This partnership helps cement London’s position at the heart of Europe’s nascent psychedelics medicine sector.

London, UK: Commercial trials for psychedelics-assisted medical treatments will now have access to state-of-the-art brain scanning technology thanks to a new all-London partnership announced today (25th April).

Clerkenwell Health, who opened Europe’s first commercial psychedelic clinical trials facility in London last Autumn, have partnered with MYndspan, brain wellness and analytics technology pioneers, to give medical researchers direct access to MYndspan’s magnetoencephalography (MEG) brain scanning technology.

This is thought to be the first time that commercial MEG scanners have been made available for use in commercial clinical trials to support pharmaceutical development.

MYndspan’s technology will provide unprecedented levels of accuracy in monitoring a participant’s brain activity and function (both before and after taking psychedelic drugs) as part of trials run at Clerkenwell Health’s central London facility.

Placing London at the heart of medical psychedelics innovation

Psychedelics work by altering neural networks in our brains – the first of its kind partnership will help understand this link definitively, and provide insights into the complex ways in which psychedelic treatments affect the brain. Globally there 81 upcoming clinical trial completions in 2023, of which 46 are commercially sponsored or affiliated.

This new partnership will provide Clerkenwell Health’s clients with valuable new information for understanding the mechanisms of action of the drugs they are developing, and their effectiveness.

This will be crucial in furthering the understanding of the role of psychedelics in tackling a range of complex mental health and neurological conditions – like depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) – for the pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials from Clerkenwell’s facility.

The partnership firmly places London at the heart of Europe’s nascent medical psychedelics sector, and Clerkenwell’s establishment of their European-leading commercial facility in the capital.

Tom McDonald, Chief Executive at Clerkenwell Health, said:

“We’re on a mission to transform treatment for mental health conditions, and our world-first partnership with MYndspan is another critical step toward delivering on that mission.

“This collaboration in the heart of London provides our clients with both a sophisticated facility in which to test their drug’s effectiveness, alongside world-class technology that allows for real-time assessment of how these drugs – combined with therapy – can treat mental health conditions plaguing millions of people worldwide.”

Caitlin Baltzer, Co-Founder and COO at MYndspan, said:

“With our quick and accurate scanning technology, we are demystifying brain health. Our data helps people understand how treatments, such as psychedelics, affect their brain activity and underlying neural circuitry, which is critical to understanding and treating brain and mental health conditions.

“We’re delighted to partner with an organisation aligned with us on revolutionising the treatment of brain and mental health. London is fast becoming a world-class hub for neuroscience and Europe’s medical psychedelics sector – we’re excited to be part of it, and look forward to future discoveries and collaborations!”

The news of the partnership follows the first clinical trials at Clerkenwell’s London facility being given the green light by the MHRA, and having kicked off in 2023.

Clerkenwell has signed agreements with Canadian and US-based drug developers such as Mindset Pharma and PharmAla Biotech, to test treatments that could treat a range of complex mental health conditions, including social anxiety in those affected by autism spectrum disorder, nicotine addiction and major depressive disorders.

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About Clerkenwell Health

• Clerkenwell Health is a specialist clinical research organization, focused on supporting clients with the design and delivery of psychedelic-assisted therapy trials. They facilitate psychedelic research at scale through commercial centers of excellence which allow organizations to run clinical trials, co-develop drugs and be at the forefront of clinical innovation.

• They offer companies a full suite of clinical trial support: scientific advisory, trial design, regulatory approvals, provision of suitable trial sites, and the monitoring and management of trials.

• The team brings together decades of international regulatory affairs, clinical development strategy, clinical operations, and market access expertise. They support clients by identifying suitable indications, engaging regulators, designing clinically sound and scientifically robust study protocols and delivering trials through their own facilities and those of their wide partnership network.

About MYndspan

• Founded in 2020 by Caitlin Baltzer, ex-VP of Operations at functional brain imaging company Croton Healthcare, and Janne Huhtala previously CEO of MEGIN, the global leader in functional brain imaging, MYndspan is a brain wellness and analytics company on a mission to optimise brain health on a global scale.

• By monitoring and reporting on brain health at intervals over extended periods of time, MYndspan empower users to assess, benchmark and monitor their brain function to extend healthy cognitive lifespans.

• MYndspan’s objective measurement of brain function is powered by machine learning and high-powered cloud computing magnetoencephalography(MEG) analysis. MEG is a non-invasive brain scanner that maps brain activity in real-time with pinpoint precision, providing a baseline assessment of an individual’s brain health. With the aid of clear and concise reporting, their team of experts support and educate users on how their brain is behaving and why to improve overall cognitive performance.

For further information please contact: Hollie Ruda | hollie@somx.co.uk