With limited treatment options available for the condition, one company is setting out to explore the neurogenic potential of psychedelics to combat the cognitive decline of dementia.
The World Health Organization estimates that more than 50 million people worldwide have dementia, with nearly 10 million new cases reported every year. There is currently no cure for the condition, but treatments such as Namenda, rivastigmine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors are used to help manage symptoms.
To fundamentally alter dementia’s progression, Return Health has launched to develop novel, non-hallucinogenic psychedelic derivatives to treat the condition, which it believes will help reduce behavioural and psychological symptoms and reverse cognitive decline.
Co-founder and CEO, James Kuo, MD, commented: “The potential of psychedelic drugs to treat cognitive decline from dementia by temporarily inducing a change in growth and reorganisation of the brain neural network and moderating neuroinflammation is unprecedented.”
To achieve this aim, Return Health will be running clinical trials to investigate the potential of psychedelics in combatting dementia-related cognitive decline using AI-assisted drug discovery – helping to identify new psychedelic compounds that have cognitive benefits but without hallucinogenic properties.
Co-founder and CSO, Lila Khennouf, who specialises in neurodegenerative diseases and has experience working as a neuroscientist, added: “Using the latest AI-assisted drug discovery technology, we believe we will go to market faster and with higher success rates than ever before.
“We need to use every tool available to us, the latest tech and untapped potential of psychedelic medicine, in the fight against dementia. Patients deserve it.”
The company is planning to bring these treatments to patients within the next three to five years, which it says will provide a better solution for the tens of millions of dementia patients.
Anthony Ruizcalderon, co-founder and COO, said: “We have just started to scratch the surface of how and where psychedelics can be life-changing, and at Return Health we are the first psychedelic company tackling dementia.”
