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Clerkenwell Health launches free therapist training programme to remove bottlenecks in the psychedelic industry

Clerkenwell Health launches free therapist training programme to remove bottlenecks in the psychedelic industry

Clerkenwell Health launches a free therapist training programme to build the workforce needed for the later and larger stages of clinical development and to bring psychedelic-assisted therapy to patients at scale.

  • Therapists are likely to be one of the main bottlenecks that will limit the progress of clinical development and the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy into health systems due to challenges around capacity and capability. 
  • Clerkenwell Health designed a free training programme to overcome these challenges and support the commercial research ecosystem, which will ultimately accelerate drug development.
  • This therapist training programme uses an existing evidence-based and transdiagnostic therapeutic model making it easier to up-skill therapists while increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical trials.

As old and new psychedelic compounds are progressing through the clinical pathway, the bottlenecks in the sector are becoming more apparent. The challenges of scale brought by the later and larger stages of clinical development are preparing the industry for the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapy into health systems.

Clerkenwell Health is a clinical research organisation (CRO) focused on accelerating psychedelic drug development and bringing innovation to psychedelic-assisted clinical trials. Today we are launchinga therapist training programme to build the workforce needed to bring these therapies to patients at scale.

With many drugs in the research pipeline, drug developers struggle with the number and quality of therapists able to deliver psychedelic-assisted therapy in clinical trials. This is a major bottleneck for the advancement of clinical development and is likely to lead to larger capacity and capability problems for the integration of these treatments into health systems post-marketing approval.

With a 21% rise in the number of people who are in contact with mental health services since 2016 and 1 in 10 consultant psychiatric posts still to be filled in the NHS, the health system in the UK is already struggling with capacity. Existing commitments to expand the workforce are not working and there is an urgent need for efficient and effective ways of training more therapists.

Having assessed the main challenges around developing the workforce for psychedelics, Clerkenwell Health designed a training programme that is built-off evidence-based therapies, aligned with standards from accreditation bodies and minimally invasive for those interested to participate. This new training programme is expected to lay the foundations for standardised and accredited training opportunities for mental health professionals wanting to specialise in psychedelic-assisted therapy.

With the first cohort of traineeesstarting on April 16th, the training programme takes 60 hours over 3 months and is made up of a structured set of self-learning materials, alongside remote and in-person training sessions. It is composed of both a training component and supervised clinical practice with CPD points available for those who complete the training.

The programme is designed and led by leading experts in the field including Dr Sarah Bateup, former Head of Therapy Research and Training in Compass Pathways, and Dr Emilio Arbe, Former Compass Interim Clinical Sciences Director. Their expertise and experience ensure that the training is delivered to the highest standards.

The therapeutic model used in the training is based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is a transdiagnostic model that aligns with how psychedelics are currently understood to work, preparing therapists to work across multiple mental health conditions and with a range of psychedelic compounds. 

This approach eliminates the need to train therapists for different trials all over again and allows for top-up modules to be delivered when necessary for a new indication or compound. As an existing model with a solid evidence base, adapting ACT for psychedelic-assisted therapy will also make it easier to ensure buy-in from medical and regulatory actors for the approval of these treatments.

Clerkenwell Health’s training programme is free and minimises the time people need to commit, making it accessible to those best suited to the role as opposed to people with spare time and money. By not monetising the relationship between the trainer and the trainee therapists, Clerkenwell Health ensures that only the therapists with the right capabilities will be certified to deliver therapy.

Tom McDonald, the CEO of Clerkenwell Health said, “It’s absolutely vital for our clients and the participants in their trials to have the very best therapists working alongside the psychedelic compounds. The simplest way we can ensure the required quality and consistency is by running our own training that is transdiagnostic, evidence-based and aligned to regulators’ expectations.”

Dr Sara Bateup, Therapy Lead, added, “Psychedelic assisted therapy is, potentially, a new paradigm in mental health care. I believe that mental health professionals simply don’t know about it yet or, if they do, it is shrouded in a bit of mystery. I am on a mission to ensure that we do something about that.”

As an innovative company focused on supporting the commercial psychedelic research infrastructure, Clerkenwell Health’s first-of-a-kind training programme aims to supply the research ecosystem in the UK with the much-needed therapist workforce and prepares the industry for when these products reach the market.

By effectively training therapists, the programme will accelerate drug development by improving the quality of therapy and consequently data outcomes. Drug developers will also benefit from standardised therapy practices across trials as it will make it easier to build comparable evidence and manage therapists for adherence to processes.

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The first psychedelic studies program in Canada

How Dr. Monnica Williams Created Canada’s First Psychedelic Master’s Degree Program: ‘Nobody Took Me Seriously’

This semester, the University of Ottawa launched a three-course “microprogram” on Psychedelics and Spirituality. The school will offer a master’s program in psychedelics in the fall of 2022 and aims to develop a Ph.D. program after that!

Why?

“I was getting emails almost on a daily basis from people who wanted to know how they could become psychedelic therapists,” said Dr. Monica Williams, who created the program.

Benzinga

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Braxia Scientific Graduates First Cohort of Medical Professionals From Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Training Program; Ready to Start Health Canada Approved Psilocybin Clinical Trial

Braxia Scientific Graduates First Cohort of Medical Professionals From Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Training Program; Ready to Start Health Canada Approved Psilocybin Clinical Trial

TORONTO, ONTARIO November 2, 2021 – Braxia Scientific Corp. (“Braxia”, or the “Company”), (CSE: BRAX) (OTC: BRAXF) (FWB: 496), a medical research company with clinics providing innovative ketamine treatments for persons with depression and related disorders, is excited to announce the completion of the training program for psilocybin-assisted clinical therapy by its first multi-disciplinary cohort of 20 qualified therapists from diverse psychiatry and psychotherapy backgrounds.

This program was implemented by the Braxia Institute, the Company’s training centre focused on advancing psychiatric clinical practice and health services of ketamine and psychedelic treatment therapy. Through this program, the Company is able to develop, train, and support qualified, independent medical physicians, psychologists and psychotherapists skilled in best practices to implement safe and effective psilocybin-assisted therapy for patients with depression.

Trainees experienced and learned, through pre-readings, didactic teaching, peer teaching, group discussion and simulations, which provided important background on the use of psilocybin for treating depression and practical considerations for providing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy. All the enrolled therapists were also required to complete a practicum component, in which medical professionals gained experience in administering psilocybin-assisted therapy for participants with depression as part of an upcoming Health Canada-approved clinical trial.

“Braxia Scientific would like to extend congratulations to this pioneering group graduating our training program,” said Dr. Roger McIntyre, CEO of Braxia Scientific.

“Psilocybin-assisted therapy is a rapidly growing and evolving area of interest for medical professionals, clinicians and patients with multiple mental health conditions, including treatment-resistant depression. Combining the effects of psilocybin with the support of psychotherapy from a qualified and trusted therapist allows a patient to process the psilocybin experience with the therapist, providing the basis for a better treatment outcome.”

Participants in the Braxia Institute training program came from diverse therapy backgrounds, allowing them to leverage their various areas of expertise to co-create guidelines and best practices. This co-creation is also a parallel process with the therapy itself, as (i) psilocybin-assisted therapy relies on a personal journey with minimal top-down direction from the therapist, and (ii) structured therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), provide more explicit direction and transfer of skills and knowledge from the therapist to the patient.

Through this program, the therapists will be fully competent to perform psilocybin-assisted therapy in upcoming clinical trials conducted by Braxia Scientific and its subsidiaries, evaluating the safety and efficacy of psilocybin in depression. The Company anticipates that, pending regulatory approval of psilocybin, therapists would also be trained to implement psychedelics in clinical practice.

“As mental health professionals, we continually strive to deliver innovative treatment options that will result in better outcomes in persons affected by depression and related disorders,” said Dr. McIntyre.

“We are encouraged to see the growing number of clinical studies focused on demonstrating that psilocybin, and potentially other psychedelics, may be safe and effective in treating people with mental health conditions, and we are focused on providing healthcare professionals with the training, competencies and practical experience to address the need for safe, legal and affordable access to high-quality psilocybin-assisted therapy as regulatory approval is sought for these innovative treatments.”

About Braxia Scientific Corp.
Braxia Scientific is a medical research company with clinics that provide innovative ketamine treatments for persons with depression and related disorders. Through its medical solutions, Braxia aims to reduce the illness burden of brain-based mental disorders such as major depressive disorder among others. Braxia is primarily focused on (i) owning and operating multidisciplinary clinics, providing treatment for mental health disorders, and (ii) research activities related to discovering and commercializing novel drugs and delivery methods. Braxia seeks to develop ketamine and derivatives and other psychedelic products from its IP development platform. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the Canadian Rapid Treatment Center of Excellence Inc., Braxia currently operates multidisciplinary community-based clinics offering rapid-acting treatments for depression located in Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“Dr. Roger S. McIntyre”
Dr. Roger S. McIntyre
Chairman & CEO

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Braxia Scientific Corp.
Tel: 416-762-2138
Email: info@braxiascientific.com
Website: www.braxiascientific.com

 

The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or adequacy of this release.

 

Forward-looking Information Cautionary Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations, or beliefs of future performance are “forward-looking statements.”

Forward-looking statements include statements about the intended promise of ketamine-based treatments for depression and the potential for ketamine to treat other emerging psychiatric disorders, such as Bipolar Depression. Such forward- looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events, or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the failure of ketamine, psilocybin and other psychedelics to provide the expected health benefits and unanticipated side effects, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including acquiring and renewing federal, provincial, municipal, local or other licenses and engaging in activities that could be later determined to be illegal under domestic or international laws. Ketamine and psilocybin are currently Schedule I and Schedule III controlled substances, respectively, under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, S.C. 1996, c. 19 (the “CDSA”) and it is a criminal offence to possess such substances under the CDSA without a prescription or a legal exemption. Health Canada has not approved psilocybin as a drug for any indication, however ketamine is a legally permissible medication for the treatment of certain psychological conditions. It is illegal to possess such substances in Canada without a prescription.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company’s filings with Canadian securities regulators, including the Amended and Restated Listing Statement dated April 15, 2021, which are available at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements.

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First-of-its-kind study on severe anxiety

World-first psilocybin clinical trial in the treatment of Generalised Anxiety Disorder receives ethics approval

This Australian university just got the go-ahead to conduct a first-of-its-kind study!

Yesterday, Monash University received ethics approval for a triple-blinded, active-placebo-controlled study that will investigate psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for severe Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Researchers are looking to recruit 72 patients for the study, which will be conducted in partnership with Incannex Healthcare Ltd (IHL).

The therapists facilitating the study will have the option to undergo their own psilocybin session to better understand what the patients will experience.

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Tripping on an island to help frontline workers

Cybin Announces Launch of EMBARK Psychedelic Facilitator Training Program

Cybin (CYBN) is sending therapists on a psychedelic retreat so they can learn how to provide support to frontline healthcare workers.

Clinical trial facilitators will head to a small island in Washington to be trained on Cybin’s new EMBARK therapy model and gain experiential knowledge of psychedelics. The EMBARK model combines aspects of several psychotherapy models and incorporates patients’ spiritual experiences, bodily experiences, and relationships into the healing process.

The retreat will prepare the facilitators for an upcoming clinical trial at the University of Washington that aims to treat healthcare workers suffering from COVID-related distress, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

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Revolutionizing all of healthcare?

This West Philly Doctor Says Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Could Change Your Life

Psychedelic therapy clinics continue to pop up across North America.

Last week, a nonprofit organization called SoundMind Center officially opened in West Philadelphia, which will be dedicated to psychedelic research, treatment, and therapist training.

On Tuesday, another clinic called Innerbloom Healing Arts opened in Charleston, South Carolina. Both clinics currently offer ketamine-assisted therapy with plans to offer MDMA and psilocybin therapy as soon as possible.

“Psychedelics are not only going to revolutionize mental health. They have the ability to revolutionize all of healthcare. Changing the way we think about the relationship between mind and body. And health and disease”, said Dr. Hannah McLane, SoundMind’s founder.

 

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Therapists need drugs too

Clinical Trial Application Submitted to Health Canada for Experiential, Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy Training

Before a therapist can guide patients through psychedelic therapy, it’s pretty important that they know what the drugs feel like firsthand.

There’s a growing demand for experiential training for mental health professionals, and organizations in both Canada and the US are starting to fill this gap.

ATMA Journey Centers, a clinic in Calgary, submitted an application to Health Canada for an experiential-based clinical trial to train mental health providers looking to offer psychedelic-assisted therapy –  and there are currently 400 professionals on the waitlist.

The study will assess the psychological effects of psilocybin in healthy patients, as well as physiological effects like heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Since most psilocybin studies are conducted on patients with mental health disorders, this trial will produce much-needed ‘healthy control’ data to use as a baseline.

In the US, two psychotherapists just founded the Psychedelic Coalition for Health (PCH) to offer experiential psychedelic integration training for professionals.

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