Mind Medicine Developing R(-) MDMA for Treatment of Social Anxiety
In psychedelic business news this week, biotechnology company Mind Medicine has launched a new research pipeline focused on developing R(-) MDMA to treat social anxiety in diagnoses including Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mind Medicine believers R(-) MDMA, one of the two enantiomers of MDMA, has the acute pro-social and empathogenic benefits of MDMA, with fewer signs of stimulant activity, neurotoxicity, hyperthermia, and abuse liability.
Silo Pharma and Columbia University Developing Psychedelic Therapies for Alzheimer’s Disease
In other research news, biopharmaceutical company Silo Pharma has entered into a sponsored research agreement with Columbia University, which allows the company to license assets already under development at the university, including psychedelics being developed to treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers at Columbia University have been investigating if ketamine can improve memory retrieval, halt, or even reverse the process of Alzheimer’s Disease-related memory loss or cognitive aging.
Mydecine Innovations Group Unveils New, Safer Psilocin Compound
Biotechnology company Mydecine Innovations Group announced that it has successfully synthesized a new psilocin analog with improved pharmaceutical properties. The company says this compound, along with its other patent-pending compounds, demonstrates improved delivery, time course of action, and compound stability.
FDA Authorizes Ketamine Study Using Cybin’s Neuroimaging Device Kernel Flow
A new neuroimaging device, developed by biotechnology company Cybin and neurotech company Kernel, has been approved for use in a feasibility study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Using a wearable helmet, Kernel Flow is the first device of its kind to leverage neuroimaging to measure brain activity during psychedelic treatments in real-time. “This study of ketamine’s psychedelic effects while wearing headgear equipped with sensors to record brain activity could open up new frontiers of understanding,” said Cybin’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Alex Belser.
Cybin Launches EMBARK Psychedelic Facilitator Training Program
It’s been a busy week for Cybin, with the company also announcing the launch of its EMBARK Psychedelic Facilitator Training Program. The course is based on EMBARK, a psychotherapy model that integrates leading clinical approaches with psychedelic medicine. With a focus on experiential learning, the program kicks off with in-person training at the Whidbey Institute in Washington state. In collaboration with the University of Washington, students in the fall cohort will be exploring the potential of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat healthcare workers experiencing COVID-19 related distress.
And last but not least in our psychedelic business news roundup, Awakn Life Sciences has partnered with Mind Cure Health to distribute its ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder protocol in the United States and Canada. Awakn Life Sciences’ protocol will be distributed via Mind Cure Health’s digital therapeutics platform iSTRYM. Mind Cure Health forecasts iSTRYM will be deployed across 150 clinics in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe by Q4 of 2022.
