LSD for anxiety and ketamine for behavioural addictions - 2 new drug company announcements
“MindMed”, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel products to treat brain health disorders, announced that Dr. Friederike Holze and Prof. Matthias Liechti, MindMed collaborators at University Hospital Basel (UHB), have released positive topline data from a Phase 2 investigator-initiated clinical trial evaluating LSD in the treatment of anxiety disorders. The data demonstrate the significant, rapid, durable, and beneficial effects of LSD and potential to safely mitigate symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings were presented in an oral presentation at London’s PSYCH symposium on May 11, 2022. We are encouraged by the positive data showing that LSD produced rapid, strong and long-lasting reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms up to 16 weeks post treatment compared with placebo,” said Dr. Miri Halperin Wernli, Executive President of MindMed. “This is the first robust study demonstrating significant lasting effects of any psychedelic drug up to 16 weeks compared with placebo.”
Meanwhile "Awakn", a biotechnology company, researching, developing, and commercializing therapeutics to treat addiction with a near-term focus on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), announced today the completion of the world’s first ketamine treatment study for behavioral addictions. The behavioral addictions included in the study were Gambling Disorder, Internet Gaming Disorder, Binge Eating Disorder and Compulsive Sexual Behavior. The study was led by Prof. Celia Morgan, Awakn's Head of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy, Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter, U.K., and an internationally respected expert in the therapeutic use of ketamine. The study investigated ketamine as a new treatment approach for these behavioral addictions by opening a window in which the brain can make new connections to change behavior. The results from the study indicate the desired effects via potentially novel mechanisms and these results merit a larger study and further exploration, which Awakn is now initiating. The study also supports Awakn’s Intellectual Property (IP) strategy and existing filed patent applications, positioning Awakn as a leading company in the behavioral-addiction therapeutic research and development industry."
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