Issue 143

World-first study to explore psilocybin for gambling addiction

Marking a world first, researchers at Imperial’s Centre for Psychedelic Research will investigate psilocybin as a treatment for gambling addiction with the support of funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) fund.

The Centre will be carrying out a small study involving five volunteers with gambling addiction to test if psychedelic therapy is safe and could have therapeutic potential.

From October 2023, the volunteers will be given psilocybin in combination with talking therapy and will undergo brain imaging to monitor patterns of brain activity and connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG).

The study is being led by leading researchers in the field, including Professor David Nutt, Dr David Erritzoe, Dr Matt Wall and Rayyan Zafar, PhD, from Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research and Neuropsychopharmacology.

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HOW PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINES IMPACT BRAIN OSCILLATIONS

A model has been developed that measures oscillations in the brain, which researchers hope could reveal more about consciousness.

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PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINES FOR ALCOHOL-USE DISORDER

Psilocybin and ketamine are increasingly being used in the treatment of alcohol-use disorder, with promising results.

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BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT

Cybin releases quarterly financial report. The company has a Phase II trial underway and C$18m million in cash.

Filament Health announces quarterly financial results. The company had C$3.7m in cash as of July 2023.

Enveric Biosciences announces quarterly financial results. The company lost US$6.4m in Q2.

COMPASS Pathways secures US$285m private placement. The financing is hoped to extend the company’s cash runway into late 2025. 

GMP MDMA shipment reaches Australia. PharmAla Biotech supplied its GMP LaNeo MDMA to Mind Medicine Australia.

Nirvana Life Sciences completes acquisition of Medsmart Dispensary. Medsmart is the exclusive licensee of a herbal treatment for opiate addiction.

MindMed secures US$50m from K2 HealthVentures. The company hopes the financing will fund operations into 2026.

Optimi Health announces C$3 million loan. C$1 million was secured from the chairman’s investment company.

Silo Pharma advances ketamine nasal spray formulation. The company hopes to treat anxiety, PTSD and stress-related disorders.

atai releases results from Phase I R-Ketamine study. PCN-101 was generally well tolerated with no serious adverse events reported.

Cybin secures patent for CYB003. The company expects efficacy data for its psilocybin analogue by the end of 2023.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

The combination of psychedelic research and AI. Advances in technology can expedite drug development.

The potential benefits of microdosing psychedelic medicines. They may provide cognitive benefits at low doses, but more research is needed.

The delivery of psychiatric care. Clinicians have largely shifted to a medication management model of care.

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION

Regulatory reform at the state and federal level. There is support for psychedelic medicine at all levels of US government.

An overview of the Washington Psilocybin Services Act. The state could soon follow Oregon in regulating the psychedelic medicine.

California’s bill to decriminalise psychedelic medicine. This will be the third time regulatory reform has been proposed.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

Google tests AI assistant that offers life advice. AI is increasingly being trusted to handle sensitive tasks.

Calls for an overhaul of the UK’s sick pay system. Long-term sickness levels have reached a record high.

The growing pediatric mental health crisis. Increased access to mental health services is needed.

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