As more and more research hints at the potential therapeutic uses of psychedelics, finding new ways to deliver the powerful drugs has taken on new interest. Commonly administered forms of the drug can cause unwelcome side effects for patients and therapeutic companies have to explore new delivery methods to strip away these effects.
The technology
- Hawaii-based Ei.Ventures announced on Thursday that it has begun development on a safe and effective transdermal patch for the sustained delivery of psilocin.
- These skin applied products will deploy proprietary technologies intended to address key psilocin formulation issues, such as delivery and stability, and mitigate some of the issues associated with oral ingestion.
- Transdermal technology can flatten the peak of the psychedelic curve. Reducing the effects of the peak experience and lengthening the duration of the threshold effects and benefits.
These transdermal patches will be used under the supervision of mental health professionals.
Benefits of Psilocybin
Ei. Ventures believes that there are numerous uses for psilocybin that have not been explored. There are so many mental health needs that can be addressed. New therapies and methodologies that can be developed to ease the mental health journey.
The psychedelic renaissance is happening again. 60 years after the first go around, this time is different. This charge is being led by people in the biotech sector. They are interested in using them as performance enhancers for therapeutic purposes. No longer is it about free love, dropping out of school, and music… or is it.
Music is playing a bigger part of the new psychedelic scene than previously thought. Tech companies are already developing music to help patients get the most out of their trips.
Facing the music
- Wavepaths is one of these companies, a British organization that offers music streams for different therapeutic intentions. Including meditation, stress reduction, and altered states of consciousness.
- Mindcure has been collaborating with Lucid, a Toronto based digital music therapy platform, on designing music around the psychedelic experience.
Music has been a part of psychedelic traditions since the beginning of time. Now that the world is returning to using psychedelics as medicine, that the music component is once again becoming recognized as part of the healing process.
Some examples
- Ibogaine ceremonies incorporate high BPM music. This helps patients manage the intensity of the psychedelics stimulation effect.
- Ayahuasca ceremonies have a singing component. Songs that were developed for the ritual involving the drug. This helps the Shaman control the ritual and experience.
Psychedelics and music
While it is hard to tailor music to a molecule, it is not impossible to customize it for clients undergoing therapy. Thanks to algorithms, AI and years of research into how brains respond to different music. These new technologies are allowing therapists to become emotional DJ’s, who can drive the experience, similar to Ayahuasca Shamans.
Link to a psychedelic playlist.
The Los Angeles-based startup that combines virtual and alternate realities with psychedelic imagery to boost mental wellness, has made its first acquisition, PsyAssist, as it moves deeper into psychedelic-assisted therapies. TRIPP has billed itself as a digital psychedelics company, but their portfolio did not actually include any use of psychedelic drugs, that is, until now.
The Deal
- Until now TRIPP has mostly been developing psychedelic visuals, target sounds and interoperations through VR experiences as a method to help users treat use disorders, anxieties, pain, and depression.
- Bringing PsyAssist into the fold will integrate the already designed therapies of the VR platform. And as a result, TRIPP can begin to venture into ketamine-assisted therapy, MDMA and psilocybin clinical trials.
- By combining TRIPP’s platform with the PsyAssist protocols, this new merger can help patients feel less anxiety when undergoing therapy. Altered states can be overwhelming and challenging to navigate. PsyAssist is intended to ease the therapeutic process for patients. Enhancing pre and post therapy support.
Why this matters
Over the past few years psychedelics have been more accepted into the mainstream medical community as a way to treat mental health conditions. And on top of this, the FDA has also taken notice of the potential benefits of psychedelics. Finding a way to reduce patient anxiety and perceived ease of therapy may be a big step forward in further pushing psychedelics into the mainstream.
The future
TRIPP has just landed $11M in series A funding. Bringing their total funding to $15M. As a result of attitudes towards psychedelics continue to becoming more favorable, the digital health world is going to see a boost as more companies look to support research and commercialization of new methodologies and therapies.
Another university in a growing list has announced a new psychedelics research institute. One that is taking special interest in ensuring that participants reflect on the diversity of people who stand to benefit from psychedelic substances. To date studies have focused predominantly on the efficacy and safety of psychedelic therapies.
UW-Madison is launching a new research center to study the application of certain psychedelic substances. The Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances will study the scientific, cultural and historical aspects of all things psychedelics.
The Institute
The Researchers will look at the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and MDMA in the treatment of conditions like PTSD and depressive disorders for opioid addictions. With the express purpose of providing a different level of educational training for the next generation of therapists, scientists and other practitioners in the psychedelic field.
- To date there has been an imbalance in the number of black, hispanic, asian and native american research participants involved in psychoactive medications.
- This new research center will seek to increase the representation of minorities, elderly and marginalized groups on their forthcoming research endeavours.
- There will be research into the role and impact that different psychoactive/psychedelic compounds have across different cultures and communities. The lack of diversity in this kind of research is indicative of the historical exploitation of minorities in health related studies.
The University of Wisconsin announcement comes as other academic institutions have begun launching similarly focused research centers.
- Harvard announced the creation of a psychedelics policy center. The Project of Psychedelics Law and Regulation will be a 3 year research effort. The research here promotes safety, innovation and equity in psychedelics research.
- Johns Hopkins launched America’s first research center. Exclusively dedicated to researching psychedelic and psychoactive drugs.
While it is still early days, survey data indicates that use of psychedelics seems to be correlated with a decrease in racial trauma symptoms for people of color. But there is a notable deficit of clinical research on the topic.
Silo Pharma, a development-stage biopharma company, has announced the filing of three new and distinct patents\ cooperation treaties (PCT’s). A PCT is an international treaty that makes it possible to seek patent protection for an invention simultaneously across countries by filing single “international” patent applications instead of filing separate national/regional patents.
These patents pertain to the central nervous system delivery of a unique, anti-inflammatory therapeutic coupled with psilocybin.
The Patents include
- A central nervous system delivery method for psilocybin
- Central-nervous system delivery of nonsteroidal, aunty-inflammatory drugs
- Central nervous system delivery for nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs and psilocybin.
Who is Silo Pharma Inc.?
SIlo Pharma is focused on merging traditional therapeutics with psychedelic research. They focus on people suffering from depression, PTSD, Parkinson’s and other rare neurological disorders.
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