Mind Medicine has presented its novel findings on LSD and psilocybin from several ongoing studies.
Dr Matthias Liechti, scientific collaborator and advisor at biotechnology company, Mind Medicine, which is developing psychedelic-inspired therapies, presented data from several ongoing studies at the INSIGHT Conference in Berlin, Germany.
The studies are being conducted as part of MindMed’s ongoing collaboration with the UHB Liechti Lab.
Novel findings presented included a study on the Comparative Effects of LSD and Psilocybin, in which findings demonstrated that the perceptual effects of a dose of 100 mcg LSD was equivalent to a dose of 20 mg psilocybin in healthy volunteers.
The findings are the first direct clinical evidence demonstrating the equivalence of psilocybin and LSD on acute psychedelic effects.
Also presented were the findings that psilocybin is safe to administer together with an antidepressant – demonstrating that daily pretreatment with escitalopram for two weeks prior to psilocybin administration reduced anxiety and blood pressure increases associated with psilocybin, but did not reduce the acute psychedelic experience in healthy volunteers.
“While both LSD and psilocybin have a long history in psychiatric research, psilocybin is being studied in a majority of ongoing clinical trials of psychedelics,” said Dr Liechti.
“It is important for us to understand the acute effect characteristics of different psychedelics, and to understand how these substances interact with other treatments like antidepressants. We look forward to fully analysing the exciting data produced by these studies and publishing our findings later this year.”
MindMed Executive President, Dr Miri Halperin Wernli, added: “The psychedelic experience can be conceptualised as the facilitated transforming encounter between one’s fears and longings with the universe and its network of living processes.
“This work with Professor Liechti, indicating for example that genetic polymorphisms of CYP2D6 significantly influence the pharmacokinetic and subjective effects of LSD, is an illustration that biological and psychological transformation processes may be deeply interwoven.
“When LSD is the chosen key to open an opportunity for psycho-transformation and growth, individual parameters such as one’s own metabolisation and bio-transformation rhythm have to be carefully understood and taken into consideration in order to allow the transformative effect to happen in the most powerful and safe manner.”
“Investors and researchers alike are eager to understand the similarities between psilocybin and LSD. Learning how these substances compare and interact with other drugs helps us ensure that our treatment programs are as effective and efficient as possible,” commented MindMed CEO Robert Barrow.
