Europe’s first psychedelic drug trial firm opens in London

Clerkenwell Health aims to establish the UK as the heart of the commercial psychedelic research ecosystem, working closely with experts and drug developers around the world to tackle some of the most complex mental health conditions.

After decades of demonisation and criminalisation, psychedelic drugs are being proved to have profound implications for a field that in recent decades has seen few pharmacological advancements.

I’m talking, of course, about the treatment of conditions such as depression, PTSD, and addiction.

Now more than ever before – amid a mental health crisis that post-pandemic has care services bursting at the seams – there’s a great body of evidence about their enormous medical potential as well as a recognition that we are in dire need of new therapeutic tools.

Thankfully, the psychedelic renaissance is well underway, regardless of the complications the status of these compounds as controlled substances brings, such as making it bureaucratically challenging and expensive to progress them through clinical trials.

During the last 12 months, we’ve seen top universities race to set up research centres, investors pour millions into the market, US states begin to loosen restrictions, and advocates argue psychedelics could help us solve seemingly intractable crises like environmental destruction and economic inequity.

Not only this, but just a few weeks ago, Europe’s first commercial facility for psychedelic drug trials opened in London, making the UK a global leader in psychedelics research and innovation.

The news comes on the back of recent discussions between scientists and policymakers on the future of the psychedelics industry in Europe.

According to The Times, this has been made possible by Britain’s Covid-vaccine success (which shows the nation’s unique ability to fast-track medical facilities) and Brexit, namely the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway it introduced, which aims to reduce the time to market for innovative therapies.