The Psychedelic News Feed Archive

Sepember 2, 2024 - December 29, 2024

This is an archived version of our Psychedelic News Feed. Receive a weekly digest to your inbox by joining our newsletter. 

December 23 - 29, 2024

This Week’s Feed, Sponsored by…

Clinical Catalyst Program

Applications close January 31st, 2025.

Clerkenwell Health’s Clinical Catalyst programme provides tailored support that small companies need to accelerate their clinical development.

Successful applicants receive: A free workshop on clinical development and regulatory strategy; grant application support; 20% off CRO services; access to senior expertise and a network of service providers, investors, and researchers.

Psychedelic Alpha’s Top 11 Stories from 2024 (Dec 26) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Opinion: Is Everyone High? (Dec 23) ↗ NY Times 

Hallucinogens approved for treating psychiatric disorders: what does the science say? (Dec 27) ↗ The Conversation 

Peyote sacred to Native Americans threatened by psychedelic renaissance and development (Dec 27) ↗ AP News 

Experts warn of mental health risks after rise in magic mushroom use (Dec 25) ↗ The Guardian 

December 16 - 22, 2024

This Week’s Feed, Sponsored by…

Use code PSYCHALPHA25 for a discount.

In the spirit of the holiday season, enjoy $50 off all registration types through 12/31 to Psychedelic Science, the most extraordinary week of the psychedelic movement. This is your last chance to save on registrations before prices increase January 10. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to connect, learn, and grow at the world’s largest gathering of the psychedelic community.

Visit www.psychedelicscience.org and use the code PSYCHALPHA25 to take an additional 15% off your registration (valid now through June 16).

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #183 (Dec 18) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Reflecting on UW Madison’s Fourth Annual Psychedelic Symposium
  • MindMed Doses First Patient in Phase 3 LSD Program
  • Beckley Psytech Shares Small Cut of Data from Phase 2a Study of IV Psilocin in MDD
  • Trial Suggests Psilocybin Could Help Clinicians With COVID-Related Mental Health Issues
  • Naropa Spins Off Psychedelics Centre to Avoid Federal Illegality
  • Awakn Life Sciences Set to Be Acquired
  • and more…

Hailey Gilmore: The Complexity of Psychedelic Science (Dec 20) ↗ The Trip Report 

Seeking Relief From Brain Injury, Some Veterans Turn to Psychedelics (Dec 16) ↗ NY Times 

‘Psychedelic renaissance’ hits New Zealand (Dec 17) ↗ RNZ 

Pα+ SCOOP: PSFC’s $130M Roadmap to Shape the Future of Psychedelic Philanthropy (Dec 20) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

‘Life-Changing’ Psychedelics, for When Life Is Ending (Dec 17) ↗ NY Times 

MindMed Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 3 Voyage Study of MM120 in Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (Dec 16) ↗ Press Release 

Beckley Psytech announces positive topline results from Phase IIa study of ELE-101 (IV psilocin benzoate) for Major Depressive Disorder (Dec 16) ↗ Press Release 

When will MDMA be approved for therapy? Major trial issues may stand in the way, psychiatrist Dr. Albino Oliveira-Maia says. (Dec 17) ↗ Live Science 

Awakn Life Sciences Enters into Binding Letter of Intent for Acquisition of Awakn by Graft Polymer (UK) Plc (Dec 16) ↗ Press Release 

We discuss the resurgence of interest in and research on psychedelics in medicine (Dec 18) ↗ WGVU 

The Day the Pope Met a Psychedelic Evangelist (Dec 16) ↗ Reason 

The FDA restricts a psychoactive mushroom used in some edibles (Dec 21) NPR 

Naropa University Announces Separation of Center For Psychedelic Studies (Dec 16) ↗ Press Release 

Could psychedelic drugs improve the mental health of autistic people? (Dec 17) ↗ Science 

December 9 - 15, 2024

This Week’s Feed, Sponsored by…

OPI’s 11-week Psilocybin Facilitator Training Program, starting January 21, 2025, offers a rigorous, research-informed curriculum for aspiring leaders in the field of psychedelics.

All students accepted into this inaugural cohort will be granted a $1,200 tuition reduction.

Gain the skills and knowledge needed to advance this transformative field through an expert-led, science-driven education.

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #182 (Dec 10) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Psychedelics Insiders Draw Up Trump 2.0 Wishlist
  • Rick Doblin Reflects on Lykos’ Strategy as MAPS Settles with FDA
  • Polish Medical Research Agency Set to Provide PLN 16M ($4M) to Psilocybin Study
  • VA Issues Note on Psychedelics for PTSD; Officially Funds Psychedelics Study
  • Alleged Killer of UnitedHealth CEO Apparently Interested in Psychedelics
  • Other Stories including: MDMA Plus Massed Exposure Therapy Protocol Published; Pollan Pushes Back on RFK Jr. Hype; Greenbrook TMS Stock Slumps Following Q3 Earnings; 30 Magic Mushroom Hops Shutter in Ontario; Expression of Concern Issued Over MAPS/Lykos Journal Article; Relmada Therapeutics’ Phase 3 MDD Drug Fails; and more…

Exclusive: Negev Labs unveils with $30M in assets, striving to build a network of psychedelic biotechs
(Dec 11) ↗ Endpoints 
“The main theme of the companies it wants to build? No tripping.”

Bullish on Chaos: Matt Zorn on How Psychedelics Could Benefit from Trump’s Second Term (Dec 13) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 
After years of challenging the U.S. government over its drug laws and their application, lawyer Matt Zorn is bullish about the potential regulatory openings that an incoming Trump administration might present. Here, he discusses the types of ‘deeper questions’ we might ask about the U.S. system of drug and medicines regulation and how we might begin to reimagine it.

‘Huge setback’: SF’s massive psychedelic church is leaving the city (Dec 11) ↗ SF Gate

The C.E.O.s Are Tripping. Can Psychedelics Help the C-Suite? (Dec 12) ↗ NY Times

MAPS Launches ‘Music is the Bridge’ Campaign Featuring Lil Yachty, Melissa Etheridge, Reggie Watts and More (Dec 9) ↗ Press Release 

Raising the standard in therapy with psychedelics (Dec 9) ↗ Champalimaud Foundation 

U of A expert says psychoactive drugs could be “the most dramatic treatment breakthrough in mental health for decades.” (Dec 10) ↗ University of Alberta 

Psychedelics: Beyond Disease and Toward Human Potential – Matthew Johnson (Dec 13) ↗ TEDx 

Psilocybin industry will focus on fine-tuning first-in-the-nation program in 2025 (Dec 13) ↗ Oregon Capital Chronicle 

Datamonitor Healthcare Podcast: Psychedelic Symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (Dec 10) ↗ via SoundCloud 

Monash Psychedelic Education Program (Launching 2025) ↗ Monash University 

Psychedelics haven’t fulfilled clinical expectations, but new trial strategies could turn the tide (Dec 9) ↗ PharmaVoice 

Newly named psychedelic fungus points to African origins of world’s most popular ‘magic mushroom’ (Dec 15) ↗ ABC 

December 2 - 8, 2024

Interview: Inside the FDA’s Psychedelics Journey: Javier Muniz, MD on Breakthroughs, Challenges, and the Future of the Field (Dec 5) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

Psychedelic Alpha’s Josh Hardman speaks with Javier Muniz, MD, who recently left his post as Associate Director at the FDA’s Division of Psychiatry. In that role, Muniz was at the heart of the agency’s psychedelics learning journey and helped formulate its view on thorny topics in psychedelic drug development like functional unblinding and the role of psychotherapy. This interview is far-reaching and provides a unique look into both the mind of the regulator, but also Muniz’s own views on psychedelics, now that he is unencumbered by his position in the agency.

MindMed Appoints Javier Muniz, M.D., as Vice President of Research and Development Strategy (Dec 3) ↗ Press Release 

The potential of psychedelic-assisted therapy (Dec 5) ↗ WashU 

TV Anchor Kendis Gibson Details ‘Five Trips’ With Psychedelics in New Book (Dec 3) ↗ Variety 

New study looks to better understand Jews’ relationships with psychedelics (Dec 3) ↗ Jewish Philanthropy 

RFK Could Be ‘Dangerous’ To Psychedelics Reform As Top Federal Health Official By Making Issue Seem ‘Kooky,’ Michael Pollan Says (Dec 2) ↗ Marijuana Moment 

A Massachusetts Voter Reflects on the Failure of Psychedelics Ballot Question 4 (Dec 4) ↗ Lucid News 

NYC Memorial Planned for Lucid News Co-Founder Ken Jordan (Dec 5) ↗ Lucid News 
The memorial will take place on Thursday, December 19, from 5:30-8:00 pm. More info and RSVP.

Aaron Rodgers: Enigma (Trailer) (Dec 3) ↗ Netflix (YouTube) 
The trailer for a Netflix documentary which follows NFL star Aaron Rodgers has been released, with the film set to drop on December 17th. It prominently features his use of ayahuasca.

Mind-altering remedies: inside the new wave of psychedelic research (Dec 6) ↗ Yale Daily News 

Colorado Announces Start Date for Psychedelic Business Applications (Dec 4) ↗ Westword 

November 25 - December 1, 2024

Psychedelic Drug Development Under Trump 2.0: Health Nominees Signal Uncertain Future (Nov 30) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Q3’24 Survey: What are Psychedelics Investors Excited About? (Nov 25) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Q3’24 Survey: What are Psychedelics Investors Concerned About? (Nov 27) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

‘Right to die’ debate must include the ‘right to try’ psilocybin, advocates urge (Nov 29) ↗ LBC 

Interviews: Meet the Team Who Challenged the DEA on DOI and DOC (Nov 26) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 
Dr. Alaina M. Jaster profiles the scientists, advocates and lawyers challenging the agency’s proposed scheduling of two phenethylamine psychedelics.

The Silicon Valley leaders who have experimented with psychedelics (Nov 30) ↗ Business Insider 

FDA’s Psychedelic Reckoning (Nov 27) ↗ Life Science Leader 

Naropa pauses psilocybin training course (Nov 25) ↗ Boulder Weekly 

RFK Jr will cut prescription drugs and increase weed and psychedelics access (Nov 25) ↗ The Guardian 

Psychedelics and Entactogens: Call for Papers (Closes June 30, 2025) ↗ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 

The Role of Psychedelics in Modern Psychiatry with Cosmo Feilding Mellen (Nov 27) ↗ SomX (YouTube) 

Kelly Slater on Psychedelics: The Emerging Frontier for Mental Health and Human Performance (Nov 26) ↗ Sports Illustrated 

‘We started micro-dosing magic mushrooms – now we’re having the best sex of our lives’ (Nov 27) ↗ The Telegraph 

Ancient Egyptians Drank Psychedelic Concoctions From This 2,000-Year-Old Mug, Study Finds (Nov 25) ↗ Smithsonian Magazine 

Where psilocybin treatment centers could be located in Colorado Springs (Nov 26) ↗ KRDO 

EVENT: Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences Grand Rounds: Psychedelics on the Edge (January 21, 2025) ↗ Dell Medical School 

November 18 - 24, 2024

Q3’24 Results: Psychedelic Investor Survey (Nov 19) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Dispatch from the DEA: DOI and DOC on Trial As Scientists Challenge Psychedelic Scheduling Bid (Nov 18) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

New Association Launches to Expand Patient Access to Psychedelic Medicines (Nov 20) ↗ Press Release 
Founding members include Compass Pathways, B. More Inc., Lykos Therapeutics and MindMed. The group’s Scientific Advisors include Peter Hendricks, Paul Hutson, Sandeep Nayak and Jennifer Jones.

$PSY Sells Out, Raising $2 Million for Psychedelic Science (Nov 18) ↗ mirror.xyz 
PsyDAO, a decentralised autonomous organisation that aims to fund psychedelics research and art, has raised around $2m following its initial mint of PSY tokens.

Republicans and RFK Jr. have embraced psychedelics. What could go wrong? (Nov 23) ↗ Salon 

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #181 (Nov 22) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Last-Minute Rule Changes, Opt-Outs, Ahead of Colorado’s Psychedelics Program Launch
  • Cybin’s Impressive 12-Month Data Overshadowed by Small N and Controversial Marketing Move
  • DEA Extends Telemedicine Rules for Controlled Substances Through 2025
  • Vermont Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group Kicks Can Down the Road
  • Other Stories including: $PSY Sells Out, Raising $2 Million for Psychedelic Science; Johns Hopkins Launches Psilocybin Microdosing Study; New Industry Association Launches; Kentucky Ibogaine Initiative Figurehead Relocates Effort to REID Foundation; and Lawmakers in Georgia Consider Spending Up To $5 Million on Psychedelic Research for Veterans. Read all about it…

Cybin Reports Positive Phase 2 Data for CYB003, Demonstrating Breakthrough 12-Month Efficacy in Treating Major Depressive Disorder (Nov 18) ↗ Press Release 
The company reports 12-mo efficacy data from a Phase 2 study of its deuterated psilocin candidate, CYB003, in major depressive disorder (MDD). The results are impressive, with 100% of patients responders and 71% in remission at the 12-month mark. The sample is small, however, with just 8 participants represented in the cut of data, 7 of which received two 16 mg doses (the remaining participant received just one dose). The company announced the commencement of its Phase 3 program last week.

From vaccines to psychedelics, five drugmakers on what could change under a Trump administration (Nov 22) ↗ Endpoints 

Healing, spiritual purposes drive many veterans’ use of psychedelics (Nov 18) ↗ Ohio State University 

A growing number of Oregon cities vote to ban psychedelic mushroom compound psilocybin (Nov 22) ↗ AP 

Psychedelics (Minus the Trip) Could Provide Powerful Anxiety Relief (Nov 20) ↗ VICE 

How this psychedelic drug company went private and raised a $103M Series A (Nov 18) ↗ Carta 

The Great American Acid Trip (Nov 21) ↗ The Free Press 

How to create psychedelics’ benefits without the ‘trip’ (Nov 22) ↗ Nature Highlight 

Opinion: I didn’t understand RFK Jr.’s appeal until I started taking ketamine (Nov 21) ↗ SF Standard 

Where Current Research Stands on Psychedelics and Mental Health (Nov 21) ↗ Men’s Health 

Georgia lawmakers consider funding research on how psychedelics might help veterans (Nov 21) ↗ Medical Xpress 

November 11 - 17, 2024

Tripping Over Trump: Will the New Administration Embrace Psychedelic Exceptionalism or ‘Just Say No’? (Nov 14) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

The buzz about Trump and psychedelics (Nov 12) ↗ POLITICO 

Can Canada’s psychedelic drug developers shake off the sector’s bad trip? (Nov 13) ↗ The Globe and Mail 

Cybin Launches Phase 3 Program (Nov 13) ↗ Press Release 

Vets push for psychedelic mental health therapies (Nov 11) ↗ Axios 

Discover the Origins of a Psychedelic Drug Synthesized by a Swiss Chemist Who Claimed It ‘Found and Called Me’ (Nov 16) ↗ Smithsonian Magazine 

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #180 (Nov 15) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Massachusetts’ Psychedelics Ballot Question Post-Mortem Begins
  • Cybin Commences Phase 3 Program of Deuterated Psilocin, CYB003, in Major Depressive Disorder
  • Opt-Out Trend Continues: Oregon’s Local Jurisdictions Push Back on Psilocybin Access
  • CaaMTech Claims It’s Solved Functional Unblinding, But Won’t Tell Us How
  • Compass Says Phase 3 Readout Punt Is About Durability, Not Unblinding
  • Lykos-Funded Study Finds MDMA-AT Cost Effective with Drug Priced at $12k per Session
  • Other Stories including: RFK Jr. Scores HHS Position; UC Davis Researchers Claim Separation of DOI’s Hallucinogenic and Anxiolytic Effects; Relmada Launches Ph 1 Study of Low-Dose Psilocybin; Numinus Sells Clinics; and more…

Advisory group says Vermont is not ready to legalize psychedelic therapies (Nov 15) ↗ Vermont Public 

Experts Gather At 4th Annual MGH Psychedelics Conference (Nov 15) ↗ WBZ News 

Ketamine’s risks are under scrutiny as experts warn a crackdown could worsen access (Nov 17) ↗ Salon 

Re-imagining The Future of Psychedelic Medicine (Nov 13) ↗ Redbrick 

Anti-Anxiety and Hallucination-Like Effects of Psychedelics Mediated by Distinct Neural Circuits (Nov 14) ↗ UC Davis 

French study tests psychedelics in alcoholism therapy (Nov 15) ↗ The Connexion 

These patients are considering MAiD. They say Canada has made it harder to access magic mushrooms — a treatment giving them reason to live (Nov 12) ↗ Toronto Star 

Can ‘magic’ mushrooms help one of the most painful conditions? (Nov 12) ↗ The Philadelphia Inquirer 

ER visits surge for people using psychedelic drugs in Ontario (Nov 13) ↗ Toronto Star 

November 4 - 10, 2024

POST-ELECTION COVERAGE

Question 4 Fails: Massachusetts Says No to State-Regulated Psychedelics Access and Decriminalisation 
(Nov 5) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Psychedelics on the Ballot 2024 (Nov 4) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Psilocybin bans were on the ballot in 17 places in Oregon. They passed in all but one (Nov 7) ↗ OPB 

PRE-ELECTION COVERAGE

Bipartisan Momentum or Radical Reform? Insiders Weigh In on the Future of Psychedelic Research and Regulation Under Trump or Harris (Nov 4) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Psychedelics Advocates Urge Yes on Question 4 Amid Last-Minute Debates (Nov 4) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Canada should be ‘world leader’ on alternative PTSD therapies, veteran says (Nov 10) ↗ Global news 

The hot new college major in San Francisco? Psychedelic drugs (Nov 6) ↗ The SF Standard 

The world’s most mysterious psychedelic is already inside your brain (Nov 4) ↗ Vox 

Eliza Dushku’s next chapter: Evangelizing for psychedelics (Nov 4) ↗ Mass Live 

October 28 - November 3, 2024

MASSACHUSETTS

Final Stretch for Question 4: Controversy, Advocacy, and Celebrity Voices Shape Psychedelic Vote (Oct 28) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha
Jack Gorsline shares the latest view from Massachusetts, where psychedelics advocates and detractors are hoping to sway voters to mark a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ next to Question 4 next week. The Yes campaign feels that coverage by The Harvard Crimson was unfair, a key anti-Question 4 campaigner appears to have misrepresented his group’s potential participation in a debate, the No campaign receives its first major donation, and more…

OP-Ed: From a Massachusetts Psychiatrist: Why Doctors Support Yes on Question 4 (Nov 1) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

Fundraising Complaint Adds To Fight Over Psychedelics (Oct 29) ↗ State House News Service

Don’t Trip. Vote ‘Yes’ on Ballot Question 4. (Nov 1) ↗ The Harvard Crimson

Mass. could soon legalize natural psychedelics, but not everyone is waiting (Oct 31) ↗ WBUR

Here’s what experts, readers say about legalizing psychedelics in Mass. (Oct 28) ↗ Boston.com

Third US State May Legalize Psychedelics (Oct 29) ↗ Newsweek

Doctors and advocates urge public to vote ‘yes’ on Question 4 to legalize psychedelics (Oct 29) ↗ Boston Globe

WMass mayors back psychedelic ballot question, citing mental health crisis (Oct 29) ↗ Mass Live

‘It changed my life’: Eliza Dushku pushing to legalize certain psychedelics in Massachusetts (Oct 29) ↗ Boston 25 (YouTube)

Compass Pathways Pushes Back Phase 3 Readouts, Lays Off 30% of Staff (Oct 31) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 
This morning, Compass Pathways announced delays to both of its Phase 3 studies, as well as a major reduction in force that sees its preclinical programs and digital tools effectively shelved. Here, we provide our analysis along with coverage of the company’s earnings call and associated discussion.

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #179 (Nov 1) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • VA Funds MDMA for PTSD and AUD Study, Chooses Low-Dose MDMA as Control
  • A Look at the Latest Oregon Psilocybin Services Complaints
  • Zuranolone’s MDD Journey Ends
  • Tryp Therapeutics Raises $6M to Forward IV Psilocin Candidate
  • Psylo and Co. Win $3M Grant to Develop Neuroplastogens
  • Other Stories

MAGA Is Tripping (Nov 1) ↗ The Atlantic 

Will Psychedelics Break the Major Depression Logjam?(Oct 28) ↗ Medscape 

Could the Netherlands Become the First Country to Legalise MDMA? (Oct 29) ↗ Mixmag 

HLTH 2024 recap: […] Psychedelic medicine session draws a crowd (Oct 28) ↗ Fierce Healthcare 

Backed by $15m in NIDA Funding, NYU and B.More Team Up to Trial Psilocybin for Opioid Use Disorder (Oct 31) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 
We speak to Carey Turnbull and Michael Bogenschutz about an ambitious new study.

Elite golfers ‘turning to mushrooms and psychedelics’ to dominate the PGA Tour (Oct 29) ↗ Daily Express 

How psychedelics and VR could reveal how we become immersed in reality (Oct 28) ↗ New Scientist 

Submissions Open for Nature Scientific Reports’ Psychedelics Collection (Closing 31st July, 2025) ↗ Nature Scientific Reports 

Psychedelics: New Research, Regulations, and Horizons (Oct 30) ↗ Psych Congress Network 

POLL
This Sunday’s News Feed will include a U.S. elections poll. To participate, join our free newsletter.

The VA is undeterred on psychedelics (Oct 30) ↗ POLITICO 

How the West Fell for Psychedelics (Oct 31) ↗ NYT 

October 21 - 27, 2024

This Week’s Feed, Sponsored by

The MIND Foundation, a nonprofit mental health organization dedicated to psychedelic research and education, welcomes applications for the sixth course of its Augmented Psychotherapy Training (APT), a 15-month program that provides healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills required to practice psychedelic therapy in a legal, safe, and evidence-based framework.

MASSACHUSETTS

Psychedelics Take Centre Stage in Massachusetts’ Local Media (Oct 21) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha
We share the first in a series of dispatches from Jack Gorsline, a journalist who is quite literally ‘on the ground’ in the heart of this election season’s psychedelic policy reform battleground: Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Proposal to Legalize Plant-Based Psychedelics Ahead of Science: Experts (Oct 21) ↗ BioSpace
BioSpace speaks to three experts, including Cybin CEO Doug Drysdale, about Mass. Question 4.

Ballot question 4 would legalize natural psychedelic substances in Massachusetts, create commission (Oct 24) ↗ CBS News

I’m a Psychiatrist. The Crimson’s Got Its Psychedelics Coverage Wrong. (Oct 23) ↗ The Harvard Crimson

Two conflicting views on ballot bid to legalize psychedelics (Oct 24) ↗ Boston Globe

Ballot Question 4: Should psychedelics be legalized — and is this the right way? (Oct 24) ↗ NEPM

TOOLS FOR TEACHERS
Supporting the Future of Psychedelic Medicine & Therapy Education
(Oct) ↗ BrainFutures
Our friends at BrainFutures have published a toolkit for academic leaders who are interested in integrating psychedelic coursework into higher education.

Searching for New Cures from Ancient Medicines (Oct 24) ↗ Yale
A new named professorship supports Deepak Cyril D’Souza’s research on the potential for psychedelic drugs to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Free Event: Cultivating Connections II (Nov 1, Hybrid) ↗ Register
UCLA’s Ecological Medicine & Psychedelic Studies Initiative is hosting a one-day hybrid event that aims to bridge mental health, Indigenous perspectives, legal rights, city planning, ethnobotany, conservation, ecology, and psychedelic therapies… gosh! Free to attend.

Video: Consciousness, Free Will, and Psychedelics: Exploring Mysteries of the Mind (Oct 25) ↗ World Science Festival

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #178 (Oct 25) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Lykos’ Path to FDA Approval Might Include a Third-Party Review of Phase 3 Data, VA Funding of Phase 3 ‘Definitely a Possibility’
  • Precision Psychiatry Platform Under Pressure as Alto’s ALTO-100 Fails in MDD Trial
  • Antidepressant Withdrawal Doesn’t Diminish Psilocybin Efficacy, Compass Study Suggests
  • Massachusetts Miscellany: MAPS Boosts Funding for Yes on Question 4
  • Czech Republic Establishes Unique Category for Low-Risk Psychoactive Substances, Skirting International Drug Controls
  • Other Stories, including: Imperial Wins UK Government Funding for Psilocybin Study; Seaport Therapeutics Scoops $225M Series B; FDA Issues Complete Response Letter to PharmaTher; and more.

Natural Medicine Advisory Bulletin 14 (Oct 24) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha X Vicente LLP
Vicente LLP looks at big-picture questions as the program hurtles towards launch. First up are fees and rule changes, before the firm reviews Natural Medicine-related meetings since our last Bulletin in late August.

Tripping on Nothing (Oct 20*) ↗ The Atlantic
Shayla Love explores how “new, non-hallucinogenic versions of psychedelics are blurring the boundaries of the drug trip. (* Included here as it just missed the cut-off for last week’s Feed.)

SEE YOU THERE?
UW Madison Psychedelic Symposium
 (Nov 7-8) ↗ Info & Registration
Psychedelic Alpha is pleased to be a sponsor of this year’s UW Madison Psychedelic Symposium. We hope to see you there.

Who gets to be a psychedelic expert? (Oct 22) ↗ The Link

1 in 5 Canadians suffer from chronic nerve pain. First-of-its-kind St. Michael’s trial will test if MDMA brings them relief (Oct 24) ↗ Unity Health

Anatomy of a Bad Trip: On the Less-Than-Magical Side of Magic Mushrooms (Oct 22) ↗ Literary Hub

Nationalize Psychedelics (Oct 25) ↗ Jacobin

Opinion: ‘Neuroimaging has shown that psychedelics can increase connectivity in the brain’ (Oct 25) ↗ The Journal

SXSW Unveils 2025 Psychedelics Track (March 8-10, 2025) ↗ SXSW
Next year’s track includes around twenty psychedelics-related panels or presentations, including a panel discussion titled Behind the Scenes of the “Psychedelic Renaissance”‘ that sees our Editor Josh Hardman joined by The Microdose’s Jane Hu, The Atlantic’s Shayla Love, and Calyx Law’s Graham Pechenik (who is also an Editor-at-Large here at Psychedelic Alpha).

J&J’s Ketamine-Derived Drug Is Taking Off (Oct 21) ↗ WSJ

What experts say about taking psilocybin as an alternative treatment for depression (Oct 22) ↗ CNN

Meet the young drug researchers lifting the lid on mushrooms, LSD and NZ’s psychedelic culture (Oct 18) ↗ The New Zealand Herald

John R Kelly: Psychedelic therapy has been found to improve numerous mental health conditions – Ireland needs to loosen regulation on its study (Oct 25) ↗ Irish Independent

Future Neuro Founders Workshop (Nov 15 + 22) ↗ Info & Application
Our friends at PsyMed Ventures have teamed up with KdT Ventures to offer a virtual workshop for scientists who want to build a neuroscience startup.

Survey: Exploring Psychedelic Experiences, Belief Systems, and Mental Health ↗ Charité University
If you’ve had personal experience with classic psychedelics—such as LSD, psilocybin, ayahuasca, DMT, or mescaline—you are invited to take part. The survey takes approximately 30 minutes to complete and is best experienced on a computer or in landscape mode on a mobile device.

Psychedelic Outlaws by Joanna Kempner review – a compelling case for the use of magic mushrooms in pain relief (Oct 23) ↗ The Guardian

Quebec religion wants Health Canada’s blessing to use magic mushrooms in ceremonies (Oct 21) ↗ Global News

Psychedelics – Not Just for Hippies Anymore (Oct 23) ↗ BIO

‘Healthy scepticism’ encouraged; Trinity hosts Ireland’s first psychedelics conference (Oct 25) ↗ NewsTalk

Phil Lesh, Grateful Dead Co-Founder and Bassist, Dead at 84 (Oct 25) ↗ Rolling Stone

October 14 - 20, 2024

This Week’s Feed, Sponsored by

The MIND Foundation, a nonprofit mental health organization dedicated to psychedelic research and education, welcomes applications for the sixth course of its Augmented Psychotherapy Training (APT), a 15-month program that provides healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills required to practice psychedelic therapy in a legal, safe, and evidence-based framework.

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #177 (Oct 18) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • 5-HT2C Fever: Bright Minds Surges on Longboard’s Seizure Drug Success, But Is It Still a Psychedelics Company?
  • Kasvu Therapeutics: Psychoplastogens, With a TrkB Twist
  • Other stories from the Cambridge Psychedelic Research Group, Awakn Life Sciences, Janssen, AMCP Nexus 2024, and more.

Talking to Your Patients About Psychedelics: Using an Informed Approach and Understanding Indications, Risks, and Benefits (Oct 15) ↗ Psychiatrist.com

Why voters should pass Question 4 (Oct 19) ↗ Boston Globe
Bessel van der Kolk encourages Massachusetts voters to get approve the psychedelics question this November.

Innovative trial will use psilocybin to target relapse in opioid addiction (Oct 18) ↗ Imperial College London

Lykos Therapeutics Statement on Recent FDA Meeting (Oct 18) ↗ Lykos Press Release
Lykos Therapeutics has provided an update on a recent meeting with the FDA re: its MDMA for PTSD New Drug Application. The very brief 100-word statement reveals that the ‘path forward’ for the program will include an additional Phase 3 trial, but could also entail an independent, third-party review of the two existing Phase 3 studies (MAPP1 and MAPP2).

American ‘Neoshamans’ Are Running Psychedelics Hotels in Costa Rica—and Someone Died (Oct 15) ↗ VICE

The Middle-Class Women Who Are Tripping Balls (Oct 19) ↗ The Free Press

Why traditional plant knowledge is not a quick fix (Oct 14) ↗ NPR 
Host Regina G. Barber talks with Rosalyn LaPier about ethnobotany–what it is and how traditional plant knowledge is frequently misunderstood in the era of COVID and psychedelics. 

Meet the young drug researchers lifting the lid on mushrooms, LSD and NZ’s psychedelic culture (Oct 18) ↗ The New Zealand Herald

The movement to legalize psychedelics comes with high hopes, and even higher costs (Oct 15) ↗ USA Today

Veterans lobby for ballot initiative that would decriminalize medical psychedelic use (Oct 15) ↗ WBJ

POV: Join Me in Supporting Ballot Question 4, a Step Toward Safer, Regulated Psychedelic Therapy in Massachusetts (Oct 16) ↗ BU.edu

The Weak Science Behind Psychedelics (Oct 18) ↗ The Atlantic

New drugs based on psychedelics likely to revolutionise depression treatment – Brain plasticity in key role (Oct 14) ↗ University of Helsinki 
“To develop the new drugs, Castrén and his coworkers have established a company called Kasvu Therapeutics. He has received financial support from University of Helsinki Funds, which has also helped him develop the company.”

October 7 - 13, 2024

Psychedelic Funding Update: Q3 2024 (Oct 8) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #176 (Oct 11) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Psychedelic Drug Developers Discuss Trial Design at Investor Event
  • Too Close to Call: Massachusetts Voters, Donors, to Decide Fate of State-Level Psychedelic Policy Reforms
  • Mushroom Mirage: SEC Charges Early Psychedelics Stock and Associates Over “Multimillion Dollar Pump-and-Dump” Scheme
  • Other stories.

European citizens initiative on psychedelic therapy to begin in January (Oct 10) ↗ Euractiv

Psychedelic Mushrooms Are Getting Much, Much Stronger (Oct 10) ↗ Wired

THE FIGHT FOR QUESTION 4 IN MASSACHUSETTS

As the U.S. elections draw closer coverage of Massachusetts’ Question 4 is heating up, too. If voters endorse the ballot question the state would be tasked with decriminalising certain naturally-occurring psychedelics and establishing a regulated program similar to Oregon’s. But polling shows that the vote is currently too close to call, with donors pouring last-minute funding into the Yes campaign (See Bulletin 176 for more).

Massachusetts Psychiatrists Push Back on Psychedelic Reform as Ballot Vote Looms: An Interview with Nassir Ghaemi (Oct 10) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha 
We spoke with Massachusetts Psychiatry Society president Nassir Ghaemi about why his group is opposing Question 4, as well as his broader views on psychedelics.

Psychedelic drugs have great therapeutic promise. But Question 4 goes too far. (Oct 10) ↗ Boston Globe
The Boston Globe’s editorial board shares their reasons for opposing the initiative.

Psychedelics ballot question: What scientists do and don’t know about their health benefits and risks (Oct 11) ↗ Boston Globe
The Globe also ran more of an explainer piece, which includes the testimony of a retired school teacher who found psilocybin to be beneficial to her trauma and depression.

Massachusetts ballot question 4: Supporters say people are using psychedelics already, and they should be legal (Oct 12) ↗ Boston Herald
The Herald speaks to the initiative’s supporters.

Emotional testimony as Easthampton council backs psychedelics ballot initiative (Oct 10) ↗ Daily Hampshire Gazette
Some local councils in Mass. are taking positions on the Question, too, or at least hosting hearings.

Startups are Biohacking Psychedelic Drugs to Make Sure You Never Have a Bad Trip Again (Oct 13) ↗ Futurism

Innovative mental health research partnership launches to study new therapies (Oct 10) ↗ Cambridge Network

Canadian Biotech Company to Supply MDMA for Pending HMS Clinical Trial (Oct 9) ↗ The Harvard Crimson

Comedian Shane Mauss sees the connection between stand-up, science and psychedelics (Oct 10) ↗ KJZZ

Can Psychedelics Lead You to Believe in God? (Oct 7) ↗ Psychology Today

Psychedelics at CIIS: Building Upon Our Success (Oct 10) ↗ CIIS
CIIS to launch the first-ever undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Psychedelic Studies offering, planned to begin in fall 2025.

Wisconsin is on the front lines of psychedelic research that could reach millions (Oct 7) ↗ WPR

Psychedelics Make You Die Better (Oct 11) ↗ Austin Chronicle

Event: ‘Psychedelics in Context’ (Nov 12-13) ↗ More info & Register 
This free, hybrid (in-person and virtual) conference will feature multidisciplinary discussions from the likes of Eduardo Schenberg, Katherine Hendy, Claudia Schwartz and Franklin King.

September 30 - October 6, 2024

THE PSYCHEDELICS LOBBY
Tracking Federal Lobbying by Psychedelics Companies and Nonprofits (Sep 30) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

Safer Psychedelic Drugs May Be Coming (Oct 2) ↗ TIME
Ft. Mindstate Design Labs, Beckley Psytech, atai Life Sciences, MindMed, Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, Enveric Biosciences.

MDMA Drug Developers Reprioritize Following Lykos Rejection in PTSD (Sep 30) ↗ BioSpace

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #175 (Oct 4) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • atai Sells a Third of Compass Stake to Raise Cash for In-House Programs
  • Lykos’ Unproven Psychotherapy Hampered Studies, Claim Authors of New Viewpoint
  • Picking Placebos for Psychedelic Studies
  • Small Study of Psilocybin in Severe TRD Among Veterans Shows Promise, But Authors Encourage Tempering Expectations

 

MDMA was hyped as a promising treatment for PTSD – what went wrong? (Oct 4) ↗ New Scientist

The fate of magic mushrooms in California is unclear. Some wellness businesses are using them anyway (Oct 3) ↗ LA Times

This Powerful Psychedelic May Help Treat Opioid Addiction (Sep 30) ↗ NOVA PBS (YouTube)

Trip on psychedelics, save the planet: the offbeat solution to the climate crisis (Oct 2) ↗ The Guardian

Psychedelic therapy advocates fear high fees will curb Colorado industry before it starts (Sep 30) ↗ Denver Post

The Power of the Group in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (Oct 2) ↗ Psychology Today

Are Mushroom Edibles Safe and Legal?  (Oct 4) ↗ TIME

Vermont’s Studying Psychedelic Therapy, but Approval Would Take Time  (Oct 2) ↗ Seven Days

Does psilocybin really provide long-term relief from depression, as new study suggests? (Oct 2) ↗ The Conversation

September 23 - 29, 2024

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #174 (Sep 27) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Six-Month Follow-Up Data Shows Psilocybin Outperforms Escitalopram… or Does It?
  • Survey Reveals Healthcare Practitioner Attitudes to Psychedelics
  • MIND Foundation Plots 700-Patient Psilocybin Study
  • Beckley Psytech-affiliated Study of Low-Dose Psilocybin for Headache Disorder Terminated Due to Recruitment Difficulties

Can Psychedelics Treat Chronic Pain? (Sep 25) ↗ HealthCentral

Psychedelic therapies are coming to Europe, but face barriers before reaching patients (Sep 24) ↗ EuroNews

Sam Altman says taking psychedelics ‘significantly changed’ his mindset (Sep 25) ↗ Fortune

Terapia com MDMA pode atrasar cinco anos (Sep 23) ↗ Folha De S. Paulo

GoDaddy Billionaire Backs Experimental Psychedelic Treatment Center (Sep 24) ↗ Forbes

What’s the Deal with Ibogaine? (Sep 26) ↗ Boston Magazine

September 16 - 22, 2024

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #173 (Sep 20) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Upcoming Trial Readouts to Watch
  • Lykos Prioritises Preparing for Resubmission Over Formal Dispute
  • Bogenschutz Scores $3.8m NIAAA Grant for Psilocybin in Alcohol Use Disorder Study
  • FDA Issues Decentralised Clinical Trials Guidance
  • New Mental Health Parity Regs Come Into Force in January 2025
  • More Headlines from Cybin, Bright Minds Biosciences, Richard Branson, Psychedelic Industry UK, Incannex, Big Health, Lophora, and others.

Bad trip: How culture conflict and a need for cash nearly broke Lykos (Sep 17) ↗ Endpoints

Psychedelics could help the dying to deal with existential dread (Sep 16) ↗ The Times

Lykos Could See Five-Year Delay In Possible FDA Approval Of MDMA (Sep 16) ↗ Inside Health Policy

After the Lykos debacle, what’s next for psychedelic therapies? (Sep 16) ↗ Pharmaceutical Technology

Psychedelics group wants to protect Portland users of mushrooms, other drugs from cops (Sep 18) ↗ Oregon Live

John Krystal, MD: Exploring the Future of Ketamine and Psychedelic Treatment (Sep 20) ↗ Psychiatric times

UK’s First Psychedelics Tade Association Launches. Earlier this week, Psychedelic Industry UK (PsyIndUK) announced its launch. The new association says that it aims to represent the country’s ‘psychedelic medicine and wellness sector’, with founding members including Heroic Hearts Project UK, Onaya, and Imperial College London’s Centre for Psychedelic Research.

Effort to make ‘MDMA’ available for veterans suffering from PTSD symptoms (Sep 18) ↗ Good Morning America

11 people shaping psychedelics drug development (Sep 17) ↗ STAT

Robin Carhart-Harris; Christian Angermayer; Ekaterina Malievskaia and George Goldsmith; Srinivas Rao; Rick Doblin; Matthew Baggott; David Nutt; Robert Barrow; Doug Drysdale; Michael Mullette.

Reducing harm with psychedelics (Sep 16) ↗ Richard Branson

Nazis, the CIA and the hunt for a psychedelic truth serum
(Sep 19) ↗ ABC (Audio)

High hopes: Why psychedelics (in very small doses) could revolutionize the way we treat mental illness
(Sep 18) ↗ Toronto Star

Psychedelics: How Question 4 could legalize the drugs for therapeutic use in Mass. (Sep 20) ↗ WBUR

Colorado wants more public feedback for psychedelic therapy, so it’s delaying final fee approval to October (Sep 20) ↗ Aspen Times

A final decision on fees for healing centres, cultivators, and manufacturers has been pushed back, but Colorado remains on track to begin accepting license applications at year-end. A public hearing will take place on October 21st at 1-3:30pm Mountain Time via Zoom.

September 9 - 15, 2024

Real-World Data Reveals Variability in Access to, and Use of, Spravato (Sep 13) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

While Janssen’s Spravato is on-track to become a blockbuster drug, access to the esketamine nasal spray product continues to be a key Acchiles heel for patients and their providers. Here, through study of two recent publications and interviews with their authors, we look at variability in access to, and real-world usage of, the therapy that psychedelic drug developers are increasingly hoping to imitate.

What Western medicine can learn from the ancient history of psychedelics (Sep 11) ↗ BBC Future

Psychedelic drugs and treating mental illness (Sep 10) ↗ The Week

Psychedelic‐assisted therapy for treating anxiety, depression, and existential distress in people with life‐threatening diseases (Sep 12) ↗ Cochrane Library

Cochrane Library publishes its first systematic review of psychedelic-assisted therapy, which focuses on its uses in mental health challenges among people with life-threatening diseases. Read the plain English summary here.

Expanding Minds (Sep 11) ↗ The Assembly

A small nonprofit clinic in Waynesville, North Carolina has been part of a national movement to broaden the use of MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorder.

A Psychedelic Debacle: 4-AcO, Microdosing, Media Panics and the Risks of Prohibition (Sep 11) ↗ Rolling Stone

Psychedelic plant and shroom fest returning to University of Michigan campus (Sep 10) ↗ Michigan Live

Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #172 (Sep 9) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

  • Lykos Scales Back Investigator-Initiated Trials Program, Refers Some Researchers to PharmAla
  • Lykos Appoints ‘Pharma Veterans’ to C-Suite
  • Psyence Scoops Up Clairvoyant for Peanuts
  • Mindstate’s Moxy Enters Phase I Trial
  • Embattled Braxia Bought for $180k
  • UK Gov. Unveils £400m Plan to Catalyse Clinical Trials
  • GH Research Waiting on Tox Studies to Respond to FDA’s Clinical Hold
  • Cydex Sues Bexson Over Psychedelic Salt Patents
  • Other Stories

Psychedelics ballot question campaigns heat up ahead of November (Sep 11) ↗ New England Public Media

Push to legalize psychedelics moving into the spotlight (Sep 10) ↗ MASSter List

September 2 - 8, 2024

Exclusive: David Hough on Lykos’ Path to Resubmission (Sep 4) ↗ Psychedelic Alpha

Josh sits down with the man drafted in by Lykos Therapeutics to plot a path to resubmitting its MDMA application. They talk about Hough’s experience in developing Spravato to eventual approval and how that might inform any future clinical development of MDMA, Hough’s thoughts about the FDA’s verdict and the AdComm that preceded it, what a future Phase 3 program might look like, and more…

Drug Science and University College London Collaboration: Advancing MDMA-Assisted Therapy (Sep 3) ↗ Drug Science

“Drug Science and UCL are undertaking novel research using a bold alternative approach to understanding how MDMA works. The researchers aim to begin recruiting study participants in 2025.”

Psychedelic therapies under scrutiny: What’s next after Lykos’ MDMA rejection? (Sep 6) ↗ Labiotech

Our Editor, Josh Hardman, spoke to Labiotech about how Lykos’ FDA rejection impacts the broader field of psychedelic drug developers.

Lykos Therapeutics Announces Appointments of Michael Mullette as Interim Chief Executive Officer and Dr. David Hough as Chief Medical Officer (Sep 5) ↗ Press Release

FDA gives an early nod to psychedelic research (Sep 5) ↗ WaPo Health Brief

WaPo covers Mindstate Design Labs’ news that FDA and EMA have green-lit a Netherlands-based Phase I study of its 5-MeO-MiPT-based candidate.

Biopharma deals highlight innovative approaches to treating neurological diseases (Sep 2) ↗ Biopharma Dealmakers

Australia is a testing ground for therapeutic MDMA use (Sep 3) ↗ NRC (Dutch)

Over half a billion dollars for psychedelic drugs (Sep 2) ↗ Handelsblatt (German)

The PBA & Union for Ethical Biotrade Webinar on Access & Benefit Sharing (Virtual Event, Thurs September 12th) ↗ Psychedelic Bar Association

Psyence Biomed Announces the Signing of a Conditional Binding Term Sheet for the Acquisition of Psilocybin-Based Drug Developer Clairvoyant (Sep 6) ↗ Press Release

Psyence scoops up fellow psilocybin drug developer for just $500k upfront (paid in shares, no less). Clairvoyant, which is currently trialling a psilocybin-based candidate for alcohol use disorder in a Phase 2 study, also has the chance to earn two $250k milestones as part of the deal… but this is still a punishingly low valuation for a company that raised $3M in the heady days of 2021.

I launched a ketamine startup but now feel obligated to speak out against the industry. Matthew Perry’s death should be a wake-up call. (Sep 2) ↗ Business Insider

Researchers and scientists will convene in Philadelphia to explore the future of psychedelic research (Sep 7) ↗ WHYY

Trump smiles at question about Congress doing shrooms, teases forthcoming drug policy on podcast (Sep 3) ↗ NY Post

Funding Opportunity: Psychedelic Treatment Research Clinical Trial Award ↗ Details & Application

Around $10M in funding is available via the Defense Medical Research and Development Program (DMRDP). Application intent deadline is 20th September.

This Week’s Feed, Sponsored by

The International Society for Research on Psychedelics (ISRP) is hosting a virtual conference on March 7, 2025 that features more than twenty 15-minute presentations on the latest developments in the field. The full-day agenda spans pre-clinical science, observational research, and clinical studies.

Should you face barriers to attendance, the conference organisers invite you to apply for registration fee assistance.