UK: COMPASS Pathways Forms Partnership To Launch Centre For Mental Health Research And Innovation

COMPASS Pathways plc CMPS has announced the formation of a long-term partnership with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM) and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London.

The aim of this collaboration is to launch The Centre for Mental Health Research and Innovation, whose goals will be to research emerging psychedelic therapies, support therapist training and certification, evaluate scientific evidence and prototype digital technologies for personalized, predictive and preventative care models. 

“In 2021, the UK Government included mental health care as a core pillar of its Life Sciences Vision—a signal of how critical an issue this is becoming,” explained George Goldsmith, chairman, CEO and co-founder of COMPASS Pathways. “The Centre will accelerate the integration of innovative psychedelic therapies into the NHS following regulatory approval and reimbursement. It is a key part of our strategy to work with health systems to develop innovative evidence-based therapies, and ensure they reach those who might benefit from them as quickly as possible.”

In a similar vein, David Bradley, chief executive of SLaM, talked about the increasing needs in more and more people for mental health therapy, adding: “We are proud to continue our legacy of innovation and research by partnering with COMPASS Pathways to directly translate research into healthcare treatment and significantly improve care in our communities.”

Initially, the focus will be on COMPASS’s investigational COMP360 psilocybin therapy and supportive technologies, and the Centre will be located at Maudsley Hospital, London, to later be moved to a 200 acre woodland at Bethlem Royal Hospital, London.