Clerkenwell Health to sponsor Psych Symposium London as it urges NHS to ‘embrace’ psychedelics

The event, hosted by PSYCH, the industry’s premium business-business media platform, is Europe’s flagship event for psychedelic healthcare.

The conference will bring together leading figures from policy, science and business, illuminating the societal and investment opportunities created by psychedelic science.

It will explore global and European policy developments, funding challenges and patient access to consider the intersection of healthcare, policy and psychedelics.

Clerkenwell Health is sponsoring the conference with its co-panellists, PharmAla Biotech, Eramol and Transpharmation.

The panel will focus on the process of psychedelic trials from pre-clinical and manufacturing through to import-export and clinical trials, outlining the complexities that these compounds bring to drug development.

Featuring on the panel are George McBride, chief commercial officer and Clare Knight, senior clinical trial manager at Clerkenwell Health.

The sponsorship comes after Clerkenwell recently announced that it has received  MHRA approval to run a first-of-its kind trial in London to test whether a novel psilocin prodrug can treat major depressive disorders when combined with therapy. 

In light of the news that Australia has become the first country in the world to legalise the use of psychedelics to treat certain mental health conditions, Clerkenwell has also called on the NHS to recognise and embrace the potential of psychedelic treatments.

Tom McDonald, CEO of Clerkenwell Health, said: “For 75 years the NHS has been a transformational force in our society.  In 1948, even the idea of a publicly funded healthcare system free at the point of use was radical. 75 years later, the NHS needs to embrace that same radicalism and start offering alternative, cutting-edge treatments for mental health disorders which too often go untreated."

“More than eight million people in England alone are on antidepressants, rising by over a million people in just five years, and only 50% of psychological therapies are moved to recovery. With the Mental Health Foundation estimating that poor mental health costs the UK a staggering £118bn a year, it’s clear the status quo isn’t working.

“A growing body of research suggests that psychedelic drugs could have a ground-breaking impact on the treatment of complex mental health conditions. The Government cannot and should not accept the stasis permeating mental health treatment in the UK. Now is the time for bold thinking.”