The overlap between psychedelics and neurotechnology is already big and growing bigger.
On the clinical/care delivery side, last month, the biggest TMS vendor Neuronetics acquired the biggest TMS clinic, Greenbrook, who also happens to be the largest Spravato clinic provider as per J&J data.
Greenbrook's last 10-Q offers some great tea leaves; in 2023, as they cut their total clinics from 180 to 130, but meanwhile their total number of Spravato sites increased to 91. My take is that Greenbrook strategically cut underperforming TMS clinics to become a Spravato first company.
From their filing (August 2024): “Management believes that offering Spravato® treatments resulted in the capture of a wider range of patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.”
So much additional synergy across indications, clinical models, emerging treatments...
And then the research side has enormous potential to generate value, as clinical trials measurement remains in the stone age, particularly for biomarkers pertinent to the psychedelic experience.
See here Amit Etkin's recent paper for Alto Neuroscience's POV on the use of neuroimaging for de-risking drug development and boosting stratification and eligibility screening:
Zach, I wonder if there isn't a fundamental mismatch between psychedelics and the current medicalized understanding of how drugs (and psychedelics) work on the brain. The FDA process is based solely on understanding the brain mechanically, and so looks to see what a new drug does alone. The positive effects of psychedelics are more subtle and complex than just how they affect various regions of the brain. We know that setting is very important for achieving a successful result from the use of a psychedelic, but there is no way the FDA can take this into account. We know that the impact of a psychedelic is greatly impacted by the set of a user's mind - what medicine and science dismiss as the placebo effect but which is the person's intention, the activation of their inner healer, and their emotional and energetic involvement with the psychedelic; in other words, by now it is very clear that there is a lot more going on than simple chemical impact on neurons. We also know that the positive results of using a psychedelic are impacted by the relation of the person taking the psychedelic with other people; there is a relational aspect to healing and to spiritual opening. None of these critical elements of safe and effect psychedelic use are, or can be, measured by a supposedly randomized, blind (??), clinical trial. The FDA has no way of taking into account these non-chemical, yet essential, aspects of the psychedelic experience.
This effort to gain FDA approval of something that is far more than the kinds of drugs the FDA is set up to oversee is trying to jam a round peg into a small, square hole. On the other hand, the trials have made it quiet clear that psychedelics are safe when used with care (far safer than alcohol), and effective and non-addictive. This, in turn, has made it possible for local activists to show to local governments that these psychedelics are safe, acceptable, and nonaddictive, allowing for local governments to legalize their use. So there has been good from these trials, even if the FDA may never be able to approve their clinical use. Let's hope this trend at the local level continues.
Love yall and please know that we are all moving forward despite any bumps through the trip....progress can whole heartedly be fully beyond us at times.
Though, I must personally admit...I have been truly impressed with the growth we, as a community, have made as a whole, including and not limited to my own understanding and past half-ass intentions....and now, all due to your honest consistency, integrity, and depth of view/w transparent understanding of these topics, I am now at a place in my life where I can focus on being there with others as I continue to allow more and more inspiration onto this path, open up, stay as honest as possible, and follow the signs and stars that lead our way...Stay True...Peace n Love...we are off the AT near Front Royal, Va....dont be shy, hmu!....Love Always --Dendro aka brett 🥰🤙 Thank you all so very mush for the priceless knowledge, sense of commitment and personal truth throughout this time of uncertainty... and....in the end? We are always where we were to begin with and where we should be....true growth takes time...and that is a good thing! Please keep us informed, questioning, and connected....you are a natural born teacher in our eyes...and we shall overcome these speed bumps together!😍✌
Hooray Neurotech!
The overlap between psychedelics and neurotechnology is already big and growing bigger.
On the clinical/care delivery side, last month, the biggest TMS vendor Neuronetics acquired the biggest TMS clinic, Greenbrook, who also happens to be the largest Spravato clinic provider as per J&J data.
Greenbrook's last 10-Q offers some great tea leaves; in 2023, as they cut their total clinics from 180 to 130, but meanwhile their total number of Spravato sites increased to 91. My take is that Greenbrook strategically cut underperforming TMS clinics to become a Spravato first company.
From their filing (August 2024): “Management believes that offering Spravato® treatments resulted in the capture of a wider range of patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.”
So much additional synergy across indications, clinical models, emerging treatments...
And then the research side has enormous potential to generate value, as clinical trials measurement remains in the stone age, particularly for biomarkers pertinent to the psychedelic experience.
See here Amit Etkin's recent paper for Alto Neuroscience's POV on the use of neuroimaging for de-risking drug development and boosting stratification and eligibility screening:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-024-01970-8
Thanks for featuring this topic Zach - let's find ways to collaborate on future analysis :)
Given cannabis is a really weak psychedelic instead of a psychomotor depressant, I am surprised he thinks he's never had a trippy experience.
Zach, I wonder if there isn't a fundamental mismatch between psychedelics and the current medicalized understanding of how drugs (and psychedelics) work on the brain. The FDA process is based solely on understanding the brain mechanically, and so looks to see what a new drug does alone. The positive effects of psychedelics are more subtle and complex than just how they affect various regions of the brain. We know that setting is very important for achieving a successful result from the use of a psychedelic, but there is no way the FDA can take this into account. We know that the impact of a psychedelic is greatly impacted by the set of a user's mind - what medicine and science dismiss as the placebo effect but which is the person's intention, the activation of their inner healer, and their emotional and energetic involvement with the psychedelic; in other words, by now it is very clear that there is a lot more going on than simple chemical impact on neurons. We also know that the positive results of using a psychedelic are impacted by the relation of the person taking the psychedelic with other people; there is a relational aspect to healing and to spiritual opening. None of these critical elements of safe and effect psychedelic use are, or can be, measured by a supposedly randomized, blind (??), clinical trial. The FDA has no way of taking into account these non-chemical, yet essential, aspects of the psychedelic experience.
This effort to gain FDA approval of something that is far more than the kinds of drugs the FDA is set up to oversee is trying to jam a round peg into a small, square hole. On the other hand, the trials have made it quiet clear that psychedelics are safe when used with care (far safer than alcohol), and effective and non-addictive. This, in turn, has made it possible for local activists to show to local governments that these psychedelics are safe, acceptable, and nonaddictive, allowing for local governments to legalize their use. So there has been good from these trials, even if the FDA may never be able to approve their clinical use. Let's hope this trend at the local level continues.
Love yall and please know that we are all moving forward despite any bumps through the trip....progress can whole heartedly be fully beyond us at times.
Though, I must personally admit...I have been truly impressed with the growth we, as a community, have made as a whole, including and not limited to my own understanding and past half-ass intentions....and now, all due to your honest consistency, integrity, and depth of view/w transparent understanding of these topics, I am now at a place in my life where I can focus on being there with others as I continue to allow more and more inspiration onto this path, open up, stay as honest as possible, and follow the signs and stars that lead our way...Stay True...Peace n Love...we are off the AT near Front Royal, Va....dont be shy, hmu!....Love Always --Dendro aka brett 🥰🤙 Thank you all so very mush for the priceless knowledge, sense of commitment and personal truth throughout this time of uncertainty... and....in the end? We are always where we were to begin with and where we should be....true growth takes time...and that is a good thing! Please keep us informed, questioning, and connected....you are a natural born teacher in our eyes...and we shall overcome these speed bumps together!😍✌