Novamind announces phase 2 trial examining psilocybin for MDD

Novamind Inc., a company specializing in psychedelic medicine, announced it will conduct a phase 2 clinical trial examining psilocybin for major depressive disorder.

The first patient has completed random assignment in the study.

“The Psilocybin Trial is a key step in moving psilocybin through the clinical development process and closer to regulatory approval,” Paul Thielking, MD, chief scientific officer at Novamind, said in a press release. “Today marks another exciting milestone for our team as we continue to support drug developers, not-for-profits and academic partners to accelerate psychedelic research and improve patient outcomes.”

According to the release, Novamind received two schedule 1 licenses last year from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to store and administer psilocybin, which qualifies the company to conduct future psilocybin clinical trial at its sites.

“While previous small-scale studies have provided encouraging evidence for the use of psilocybin for depression, phase 2 trials will help us better evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the medication,” Reid Robison, MD, chief medical officer and principal investigator of the trial at Novamind’s research site, said in the release. “This work is truly ground-breaking, and we are incredibly honored to contribute and advance the fields of psychedelic medicine and psychiatry.”