Psychedelic Medicine For End-Of-Life And Palliative Care Patients: Novamind Launches Treatment Program

Novamind NM NVMDF, a company in the psychedelics space that operates several mental health clinics in Utah, announced a new program for palliative care patients experiencing chronic and serious illnesses.

The program will take place at Novamind’s recently-opened clinic and research site in Murray, Utah where it will welcome family members of the patients.

Initially, the program will combine ketamine treatment with psychotherapy, workshops, multi-day immersive retreats and group support. Ketamine, an FDA-approved drug, has gained notice in recent years for its ability to treat depression and other mental health indications.

While the question of whether ketamine works as a psychedelic in the treatment of psychiatric illness is still being debated, the compound is being used by many companies in the space as a steamroller for the development of an industry around psychedelics.

Novamind plans to introduce psilocybin as a treatment option in the near future. This drug, also known as the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” remains a scheduled substance but limited patient access can be granted through clinical trials.

Dr. Paul Thielking, chief scientific officer (CSO) of Novamind told Benzinga in an email that the facility is in the process of becoming a research site for psilocybin clinical trials, which would allow it to eventually offer psilocybin to patients in a legal manner.

“Eligible patients at Novamind will have the opportunity to be enrolled in clinical trials for psilocybin which we anticipate opening in 2022,” Thielking said.

The CSO noted that the goal of the Psychedelic Palliative Care program is two-fold. On one hand, it provides patients with chronic or serious illnesses immediate access to innovative mental health treatments including ketamine-assisted psychotherapy.

“We will also advance clinical research for palliative-focused mental health therapies including psychedelic medicine at our research sites,” he added.

“Patients receiving palliative care have higher rates of depression than the general population. Unfortunately, standard anti-depression and anti-anxiety treatments do not work for everyone, can cause side effects, and can take up to eight weeks to work,” Thielking explained.

“Due to psychedelic medicine’s generally low side effect burden and fast-acting nature, it shows promise for patients who are physically ill and might have limited life expectancies.”

Novamind was a recent participant of the Benzinga Healthcare Small Cap Conference where CEO Yaron Conforti presented the company. Be sure to check out the BENZINGA CANNABIS CAPITAL CONFERENCE, a 2-day hybrid event on October 14-15: the premier gathering of cannabis entrepreneurs and investors in North America featuring companies in the cannabis and psychedelics sectors.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash.