No worries: Severe anxiety disorders to get the Incannex, Monash Uni treatment via psychedelics within vir … – Stockhead

Incannex and Monash University will collaborate on ground-breaking research to advance treatment for severe forms of anxiety disorders using virtual reality combined with psychedelics.

Medicinal cannabis and psychedelic clinical development companyIncannex Healthcare (ASX:IHL)has joined with Monash University to develop a novel treatment that combines Virtual Reality (VR) and psychedelics.

Incannex has executed an exclusive, global license in perpetuity over an immersive therapeutic VR environment developed by BrainPark, a state-of-the-art clinical research platform at Monash Universitys Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health.

The license allows Incannex to investigate use of Monashs VR therapy tool in combination with a psychedelic drug to develop a new treatment for severe forms of one or more anxiety disorders.

The established VR treatment uses an exposure-based approach, providing triggering stimuli in a graded and controlled manner, known as Exposure and Response Prevention or ERP.

By adding specialised clinical support and the administration of a psychedelic drug, the combined approach may allow for the development of a totally new therapy for severe forms of anxiety mental illness.

The research will be led by Monashs The Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab, Turner Institute and Department of Psychiatry Head Dr Paul Liknaitzky and BrainPark, Turner Institute Director Professor Murat Ycel.

Monashs Department of Psychiatry Head Professor Suresh Sundram and BrainPark Deputy Director Dr Rebecca Segrave will collaborate on the project.

The parties are working towards a research agreement for the first of these trials, which will assess optimal dose, safety, and tolerability of the combination treatment method.

Incannex CEO and Managing Director Joel Latham said the company was delighted to start the project with Monash and further use of combined psychedelics and VR therapy.

The combination of psychedelic compounds with an evidence-based VR therapy is a leading edge in the field of mental health treatments, Latham said.

We look forward to providing more detail about the project in due course when clinical trial planning has been finalised.

This is Incannexs second psychedelic therapy clinical program. Incannexs initial psychedelic clinical trial is using psilocybin to treat severe generalised anxiety disorder and has already achieved FDA comments and HREC approval to commence patient recruitment.

The research deal follows Incannexs much anticipated Nasdaq listing with the company hoping to attract keen medical cannabis investors as it pursues North American growth.

Incannex commenced trading on the Nasdaq under ticker Code IXHL on February 25.

American Depositary Shares (ADS) representing Incannex ordinary shares started trading following a declaration of effectiveness by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of its registration statement on Form 20-F and formal approval from Nasdaq upon meeting listing requirements.

Each IXHL ADS represents 25 ordinary shares of Incannex with the company simultaneously retaining its listing of ordinary shares on the Australian bourse.

The Nasdaq listing is part of the companys goal to be more accessible to a wider audience of investors with sophisticated understandings of medicinal cannabinoids, psychedelic therapies, and pharmaceutical development.

This article was developed in collaboration with Incannex, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

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No worries: Severe anxiety disorders to get the Incannex, Monash Uni treatment via psychedelics within vir ... - Stockhead