With each passing week, we are seeing more advances in psychedelic research in the scientific and medical fields. As the body of work continues to grow, Truffle Report has compiled a roundup of major medical and scientific news from April 10 to April 16, 2021, making it easier for you to track these ongoing developments.
Awakn Launches Digital Unit and Signs Agreement with the University of Exeter to Improve Addiction Treatment Through Artificial Intelligence and Big Data
April 12, 2021 – Awakn Life Sciences Inc., a clinical-biotech company researching, developing, and delivering psychedelic medicine to treat addiction and other mental health conditions has launched ‘Awakn Digital’ in collaboration with the University of Exeter. The new unit will focus on using advanced analytics to improve the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted therapy for addiction.
New UCSF Research Program to Focus on Psychedelics Research and Treatments’ Advancement
April 12, 2021 – The formation of the University of California San Francisco Neuroscape Psychedelics Division will help advance psychedelic research on brain health through $6.4 million in private funding. This new division at UCSF will use a translational research approach that will integrate psychedelic treatment with cutting-edge neuroscience technology. The first project to be undertaken will be a MAPS Phase 3 trial for the evaluation of MDMA for the treatment of PTSD.
MINDCURE Announces Partnership with Speak Ai to Enhance iSTRYM, the Company’s Psychedelic Digital Therapeutics Technology Platform
April 13, 2021 – Mind Cure Health Inc. announced that it has entered into a partnership with Speak Ai Inc., a Canadian-based technology company that helps individuals and organizations analyze media, language, and metadata to automatically generate valuable insights through machine learning. MINDCURE will be integrating the platform’s capabilities into iSTRYM, and will also work with Speak Ai to develop proprietary, technology-based mental health solutions.
Psychedelics Company Silo Wellness May Reach Latin America With Its Psilocybin Nasal Spray
April 15, 2021 – Silo Wellness Inc. confirmed it plans to enter a patent licensing agreement with Jungle Med Inc., a health and wellness company operating in Latin America. Silo Wellness Inc. signed a binding letter of intent via a wholly-owned subsidiary for a multi-year patent licensing deal to exclusively produce, market, distribute, and sell its patent-pending metered-dosing psilocybin nasal spray in Colombia and Brazil.
Trial of Psilocybin Versus Escitalopram for Depression April 15, 2021 – A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that people who were administered psilocybin twice under the supervision of psychiatrists showed similar reductions in depression symptoms compared to subjects who took a six-week course of the SSRI escitalopram. Those in the psilocybin group were also more likely to report remission from depression compared to those who took the antidepressant.
Texas Could Use Psychedelics To Treat PTSD In Veterans
April 16, 2021 – House Bill 1802, filed by state Rep. Alex Dominguez (D-Brownsville), calls on the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to conduct a clinical study on the impact of psilocybin therapy on veterans with PTSD. The bill would also ask them to look into prior studies on MDMA and ketamine in the treatment of PTSD in veterans. The bill was endorsed by former Texas Governor and United States Secretary of Energy Rick Perry.
