MindMed To Conduct The First Modern Research On Mescaline In Switzerland

MindMed MNMD MMED MMQ, announced Thursday that it had obtained authorization from the local Swiss ethics committee to conduct the first clinical trial on mescaline.

What Happened

The psychedelic medicine biotech company noted that the study will examine the effects of various “doses of mescaline and the role of the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor in mescaline-induced altered state of consciousness.”

Mescaline is a classic serotonergic hallucinogen similar to LSD psilocybin, famous for its long, non-regulated history of spiritual use.

The research is scheduled to begin in May at the University Hospital Basel Liechti Lab in Basel, Switzerland.

Why It Matters

MindMed said that the importance of this study lies in the fact that valid studies on the effects of different doses of mescaline, including placebo, are few and far between. The company will also gather data from the trial and create a foundation for future clinical trials on the medical potential of mescaline.

“Mescaline is an archetypical psychedelic with surprisingly little contemporary scientific information on its pharmacology and effects in humans. This study will, we believe, provide the first modern research data on mescaline regarding dosing and mechanism of action in humans,” said Dr. Matthias Liechti, PhD & M.D. professor for clinical pharmacology and internal medicine at the University of Basel.

The serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor is thought to mediate acute alterations of consciousness induced by LSD and psilocybin, the company explained in a statement.

With mescaline also binding to the 5-HT2A receptor, the study aims to explore whether these “acute psychoactive effects of mescaline in humans are mediated by 5-HT2A receptors.”

“We believe the drug will have a powerful effect on enhancing the communication between different parts of the brain in unique ways that are otherwise inaccessible to the conscious mind,” Dr. Miri Halperin Wernli, President of MindMed, stated. “As we move forward, further studies on patient populations will be targeted to help us distinguish the relationship between the drug-induced experience and its integration into the psychotherapeutic process. The hope is that this will then allow a better understanding of the behavioral changes and the unique effect of these powerful drugs on neuroplasticity.”

MindMed’s shares were trading 1.31% lower at $3.4 per share at the time of writing.

Photo by Pretty Drugthings on Unsplash