Four companies have launched an association to advocate for expanded patient access to prescription psychedelics.
The Association for Prescription Psychedelics (APP) said it aims “to integrate proven, efficacious and evidence-based prescription psychedelic medicines into the health-care system for eligible patients across the country.”
“APP will serve as a trusted and recognized voice on prescription psychedelics and highlight how government-sponsored research, public-private partnerships, patient-centric treatment and health-care infrastructure investments can support this innovative area of medicine,” the association said in a news release.
The organization’s founding members are B.More Inc., Compass Pathways, Lykos Therapeutics and MindMed, all of which are developing psychedelic medicines.
Apollo Pact, a research and education nonprofit focusing on psychedelic science, is one of APP’s “patient-advocacy organization partners.”
“There’s a tremendous opportunity to address the unmet needs of patients across the country who are experiencing a wide range of health challenges by expanding access to psychedelic medicines,” said Jon Kostas, executive director of APP and chief executive officer of Apollo Pact. “The Association for Prescription Psychedelics will serve as the leading voice for clinical, evidence-based psychedelic medicines and treatments administered by licensed, experienced and highly trained professionals in the medical community.”
The association said its scientific advisors will include prominent researchers and academics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Heffter Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Shepard Pratt, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins University and University of California San Francisco.
“Fostering strong collaboration between industry, academia, health-care professionals and policymakers can help advance scientific research into psychedelics and hopefully expand patient access to lasting and effective treatments,” said Peter Hendricks, Ph.D., professor and Heersink endowed chair of psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who serves on as one of APP’s scientific advisors. “Psychedelic research looks very promising for many treatment-resistant patients, and there is a good chance prescription psychedelic medicines will be a part of our health-care system in the near future.”