The groundbreaking study will now be expanded to explore the use of ketamine for treating binge eating disorder, compulsive sexual behaviour and internet gaming disorder.
Awakn Life Sciences is carrying out the world’s first study exploring the use of ketamine-assisted psychedelic therapy to treat gambling addiction. The study has now received ethical committee approval to include an additional three addictive disorders.
There are currently no licensed pharmacological treatments for behavioural addictions or disorders available, meaning there is a vital need to find new and effective treatment options.
The basket study is led by professor Celia Morgan, Awakn’s head of ketamine-assisted therapy for addiction, professor of psychopharmacology at the University of Exeter, and an internationally respected expert in the therapeutic use of ketamine.
Morgan commented: “We are delighted to expand this research and to make further inroads into a treatment area that has had no material pharmacological advancements in far too long, all the while the number of people suffering has steadily increased.
“We hope this will give us valuable insights to push our ketamine programme forward and help these people as quickly as possible.”
Morgan’s work will investigate a new treatment approach for these behavioural addictions, trying to harness a window in which the brain is able to make new connections. The study will explore and monitor whether ketamine can increase neuroplasticity using electroencephalogram (EEG).
The global populations affected by behavioural addictions are huge – with binge eating disorder affecting up to 110 million people; internet gaming disorder affecting 238 million; sexual compulsive behaviour affecting up to 350 million; and gambling disorder up to 450 million people.
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