A biotechnology company and a non-profit are joining forces to bring a safe source of psilocybin to patients wanting to receive psychedelics-assisted therapy.
On Monday, Vancouver-based firm Havn Life Sciences Inc.(CSE: HAVN) (OTC: HAVLF) (FSE: 5NP) announced a partnership with the Victoria-based non-profit TheraPsil.
Under the partnership, TheraPsil will support healthcare professionals requesting psilocybin via the Special Access Program (SAP) and get the psychedelic from Havn and other psychedelics dealers enrolled in the non-profit’s “‘Project Solace”.
The project is an effort to secure a safe supply of psilocybin for patients in need and move Canada closer to legalizing psilocybin for medical purposes. Data collected through this project will help inform regulatory improvements.
On Jan. 5, Health Canada enacted amendments to its SAP which allows patients suffering from a serious or life-threatening condition to access illicit drugs such as psychedelics for therapy when other treatments have failed or are unavailable.
In the past, patients, medical professionals and advocates have expressed confusion over the steps the agency takes to determine who gets access to psilocybin.
Victoria-based non-profit TheraPsil, has been helping patients and medical professionals access medical psilocybin.
Read more: What amendments to Canada’s restricted drug program mean for patients and practitioners
Read more: Health Canada to increase legal access to psychedelics for therapy
We’re pleased to announce a new partnership with @TheraPsil that will see us seek Health Canada approval to supply naturally-derived psilocybin for legal and therapeutic use via the Special Access Program.$HAVN $HAVLF https://t.co/SiQwLwHgD2
— HAVN Life (@HavnLife) May 16, 2022
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HAVN Life CEO Tim Moore said the company feels well aligned with organizations like TheraPsil, who advocate for compassionate access to psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for Canadians in medical need, as well as making strides in creating a framework for what medicalized psilocybin may look like in the near future.
“We are thrilled to participate in Project Solace, which aims to move the needle on regulatory guidelines in Canada,” he added.
Patient rights advocate and TheraPsil CEO, Spencer Hawkswell said that thousands of Canadians are in urgent need of psilocybin for medical purposes.
“Our goal with Project Solace is to make access easier for patients through Health Canada’s preferred pathway, the SAP,” Hawkswell said.
“With the support of HAVN Life, a founding member of Project Solace, patients in medical need will get streamlined access, a safe supply of psilocybin, and support from therapy teams to facilitate their treatment.
