EXCLUSIVE: Bienstar Wellness Expands Ibogaine Treatment For Addiction To Curitiba, 3rd Brazilian City Covered By The Co.

Bienstar Wellness, through its Brazilian clinics, Clínicas Beneva, will begin offering ibogaine treatments for addiction in Curitiba, the capital of the Paraná province in Brazil, starting in March.

With a population of two million people, Curitiba is the largest city in the southern region of Brazil. Curitiba is strategically located, with direct flights from all Brazilian major cities and from countries in the Southern Cone, such as Argentina and Chile. This clinic will function as a hub for national and international patients who wish to undergo legal ibogaine treatment in a hospital environment.

See also: Is Ibogaine A Safe And Effective Treatment For Addictions?

The services in the city will be provided through a contract with the Pietá Hospital, a leader in hospitalizations in Curitiba. The modern and comfortable hospital will allow Beneva Clinics to offer its treatment in compliance with regulatory requirements and with the highest standards of care, the hallmark of its network.

The new operation will also have the support of the local medical company WMC+, led by Dr. Wanderson de Carvalho, for patient screening and triage services. The ibogaine treatments will be performed by Bienstar’s chief medical officer, Dr. Bruno Rasmussen, who has treated more than 2,500 patients with this substance since 1994.

"This year is dedicated to expanding Beneva's operations by increasing our locations and the number of patients treated. We are paying close attention to Curitiba because it has historically been the main source of Dr. Rasmussen's ibogaine patients," said Bienstar CEO Marco Algorta. "In addition to the great local demand, Curitiba a very developed city, with quality services and a strategic positioning for access to international patients, whether from the Southern Cone or North America."

See also: Ibogaine To Treat Addiction: 5 Reasons Why It's Safer To Do It In Hospital Settings

“This represents the 4th Beneva Clinic together with our clinics in Ourinhos and Sao Paulo. This is a big step in providing this unique treatment opportunity to more patients in need across the country and the continent,” Algorta added.

Dr. Wanderson de Carvalho, who runs a ketamine operation in Curitiba, has already begun assisting the first patients and producing medical education workshops for psychiatrists based in the city.

"This is a great opportunity to expand access to psychedelic treatments in the country. We are very excited about the opportunity to do serious work with ibogaine for addiction treatment, given the many severe cases of addiction we have in the country," said Carvalho.

In 2021, Novamind — now owned by Numinus NUMIF — announced a strategic investment and advisory agreement with Bienstar Wellness to assist in the expansion of Latin America's first network of integrative mental health clinics treating patients with psychedelic therapies.