Psilocybin

Studies highlight prevalence of psychiatric disorders among cancer patients, psychological distress by cancer site, and management of anxiety and depression in survivors, with a focus on screening, assessment, and care of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Emerging treatments include ketamine and psychedelics like psilocybin, which show potential for rapid symptom reduction and neuroplasticity enhancement.

A study at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research used psychedelic drug DOI to identify a neuron activating the ventral hippocampus, potentially reducing anxiety without hallucinations, paving the way for targeted treatments for anxiety disorders and treatment-resistant conditions like PTSD and depression.

Article references highlight psychedelics' therapeutic potential, including advancements and mechanisms like ketamine's antidepressant effects and psilocybin's impact on depression and anxiety, with studies exploring their efficacy in treatment-resistant conditions.

Massachusetts voters will decide in November on legalizing psychedelics, including psilocybin, for mental health treatment. A yes vote would create a regulatory framework with licensed facilitators, but also allow personal growth in a secure space. Oregon and Colorado have similar but distinct legalizations, with Oregon's being more restrictive. The FDA has designated psilocybin a breakthrough therapy, though the American Psychiatric Association remains cautious.

Missouri seeks expert help to award $5M for psilocybin research on opioid use disorders, despite legislative ambiguity. The Department of Mental Health aims to develop competitive grants, focusing on psilocybin's potential to treat opioid addiction.

Companies like Mindstate Design Labs and Beckley Psytech are developing 'next generation' psychedelics to reduce risks and improve efficacy, aiming to make treatments more palatable to regulators and patients.

Cybin Inc. appoints Dr. Mirza Rahman as SVP, Patient Safety & Pharmacovigilance, and Dr. Marcelo Gutierrez as VP, Clinical Pharmacology, in preparation for Phase 3 trial of CYB003 for MDD.

AJNA BioSciences, based in Colorado, is developing a full-spectrum psilocybin 'novel antidepressant' and aims to capture a high single-digit percentage of the growing psychedelic drugs market, estimated to grow by more than 12% annually through 2027. The company is standardizing botanical materials to meet strict FDA guidelines and is the first biotech company working with botanicals under a DEA Schedule-1 license. AJNA's research team, led by scientists from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and NYU, is conducting clinical trials similar to large drug manufacturers, focusing on FDA approvals to ensure market acceptance and insurance reimbursement. The company is currently raising capital through a crowdfunding round on Wefunder.

Psychedelics show promise and perils in treating various conditions, with MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD and psilocybin for depression showing efficacy, while cases of adverse effects like prolonged mania and psychosis exist. Ketamine and other psychedelics are also explored for chronic pain and PTSD, with mixed results. The role of expectations and placebo effects in psychedelic therapy is highlighted, emphasizing the need for careful study design and patient management.

The DEA proposed increasing psilocybin, psilocin, and ibogaine production quotas by 50% for 2025, signaling support for psychedelic research. This follows a growing interest in studying these compounds for mental health treatments, despite their Schedule 1 status. The VA is also increasingly involved in psychedelic-assisted therapy research for veterans.