Psychedelics Briefs: Mind Cure, Awakn, MindMed, Revitalist

Mind Cure Health announced on Thursday that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with Awakn Life Sciences to be a distributor of its ketamine-assisted psychotherapy program for alcohol use disorder. The protocol will be distributed through Mind Cure’s iSTRYM digital therapeutics platform.

Mind Cure released a minimum viable product version of the platform in August and said in a release that it anticipates full commercial deployment to all 75 of its partner clinics in the first quarter of 2022, with plans to expand to 150 clinics by the end of 2022.

Awakn, which acquired licensing rights for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for AUD from the University of Exeter, will deliver its Ketamine in the Reduction of Alcoholic Relapse (KARE) treatment in each of its clinics in the UK and Europe. The protocol will be distributed by Mind Cure across the latter's network of clinical partners in the US and Canada.

MindMed Expanding Development Pipeline

MindMed announced it is expanding its program development pipeline with plans to develop R(-)-MDMA for the treatment of social anxiety and functioning diagnoses that include autism spectrum disorder.

MDMA is currently in development for treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, and has previously demonstrated positive results in a Phase 3 trial. In a separate pilot clinical trial, short-term treatment with MDMA has been shown to provide improvements in social anxiety and functioning.

MindMed said in a news release it plans to initiate its R(-)-MDMA clinical trials in 2022. The company will partner with Liechti Lab at University Hospital Basel

Revitalist Adds IOP for Patients Receiving Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy

Revitalist Lifestyle and Wellness, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based company that provides treatments for mental health, chronic pain, and general wellness, announced it is adding intensive outpatient programs for individuals currently receiving or who have recently completed ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. Sessions will be designed to assist patients in integrating insights gained from ketamine-assisted therapy while providing skills, education, and group support.

Revitalist CEO Kathryn Walker said in a news release that the company will launch the IOP program at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, clinic starting on Nov. 1, and follow at its other clinics shortly thereafter.

In a separate announcement, Revitalist said it has entered into a binding letter of intent to acquire a ketamine clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, expanding its portfolio to 7 clinics in 5 states. The clinic is managed by Nicholas Kalynych, CRNA, who has more than 30 years in the field. Kalynych will continue to manage the clinic, while also working toward expanding its services and opening additional facilities.