MindMed Is Collaborating on a Phase 2 Clinical Trial of LSD For Cluster Headaches with University Hospital Basel’s Liechti Lab
BASEL, Switzerland, June 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Mind Medicine (MindMed) Inc. (NEO: MMEDOTCQB: MMEDF), is supporting and collaborating on a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating LSD for the treatment of cluster headaches at University Hospital Basel’s Liechti Lab. The Phase 2 trial began recruiting patients in early January and has commenced treating patients with LSD.
MindMed is the leading neuro-pharmaceutical company for psychedelic inspired medicines and previously formed an ongoing R&D collaboration with the University Hospital Basel’s Liechti Lab, the leading global clinical research laboratory for LSD, to evaluate multiple therapeutic uses of psychedelics and next-gen psychedelic therapies. This new development is part of the collaboration and Dr Matthias Liechti is serving as principal investigator of the clinical trial.
Cluster headaches, also known as “suicide headaches,” due to the severity of the pain caused are often viewed as one of the most profoundly painful conditions known to mankind. The pain occurs on one side of the head or above an eye and can last for weeks or months. Studies have demonstrated increased suicidality associated with patients experiencing cluster headache attacks.
Non-clinical and anecdotal evidence suggests LSD can abort attacks and decrease the frequency and intensity of the attacks. There is a need for new treatment approaches for cluster headaches as current available medications often mismanage cluster attack periods.
The Phase 2 trial is investigating the effects of an oral LSD pulse regimen (3 x 100 µg LSD in three weeks) in 30 patients suffering from Cluster Headaches compared with placebo. The study is a Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled two-phase cross-over study design.
MindMed Co-founder & Co-CEO JR Rahn said “As we continue on our mission to discover, develop and deploy psychedelic inspired medicines, we are very encouraged to bring this potential treatment for cluster headaches using LSD out of the shadows and evaluate its efficacy based on clinical research standards with the Liechti Lab.”
MindMed’s collaboration will assess if there is clinical evidence for a future commercial drug trial through the FDA pathway at a later date. Treatments for cluster headaches may potentially qualify for an Orphan Drug Designation and be eligible for certain development incentives provided by the FDA for rare diseases.
Liechti Lab and MindMed intend to learn how they can make the administration of LSD more targeted for cluster headache patients through this Phase 2 trial and future clinical trials. As part of the collaboration with UHB Liechti Lab, MindMed gains exclusive, global use to all data and IP generated in the Phase 2 trial of LSD for cluster headaches.