OXFORD, UNITED KINGDOM – 14 JUNE 2024 - Beckley Psytech Ltd and The Psychedelic Participant Advocacy Network (PsyPAN) today announced the launch of a new Impact Report and peer support pilot program for psychedelic clinical trial participants.
The new report, titled ‘In the Participants’ Words: Patient Insights from Psychedelic Clinical Trials’, shares insights from four patient experts who have previously participated in psychedelic clinical trials, with the aim of amplifying their voices and highlighting potential improvements for future participant experiences. The insights were collected through a series of workshops that mapped participant experiences across four key trial areas: clinical trial recruitment, pre-treatment, drug dosing, and post-treatment and integration. The workshops identified several areas for potential improvement and possible options were then co-developed by the patient experts and members of the Beckley Psytech team for consideration by psychedelic drug developers and clinical trial organisers.
A significant finding in the report is the desire among some participants for support following their participation in a psychedelic clinical trial. During the ideation process of potential options to address this unmet need, peer support groups emerged as a viable option. Peer support groups can provide participants with emotional support, validation, connection and shared skills following the end of a clinical trial.
In response to this insight, Beckley Psytech has given PsyPAN an unrestricted grant to initiate a post-participant peer support pilot program. This 12-month pilot program will initially support 20 UK-based participants who have been part of a psychedelic-based clinical trial for serious mental health conditions. The program is not restricted to participants of Beckley Psytech trials and anyone who has been a part of a relevant trial within the last 12 months is eligible to apply. As part of the program, PsyPAN will facilitate monthly virtual sessions, each led by trained peer co-facilitators. Findings from the pilot will be published at its conclusion and, should the program prove successful and receive adequate funding, PsyPAN plans to expand the initiative to more countries.
Caroline Lilley, Chief Impact Advisor at Beckley Psytech, said: “The launch of this report and PsyPAN’s peer support program is the culmination of an extensive, years-long collaboration between Beckley Psytech and PsyPAN. At Beckley Psytech, we are committed to listening to, and learning from, patient and participant experiences and I want to take this opportunity to thank the patient experts for their honesty and courage. We encourage all interested stakeholders to read the report and we hope to see further partnership between industry and patient groups in the future.”
Leonie Schneider, Co-Founder and Co-Director of PsyPAN, also commented: “We are delighted to have been part of this groundbreaking Patient Council project where the voice of the participant was not only welcomed, but heard and engaged with in meaningful dialogue and action. For psychedelic medicines to succeed, we need to usher in new ways of working and foster mycelial connections across the sector. We offer this report as an example of how this connected thinking can ensure participant safety and maximise the benefits of these treatments. We look forward to continuing this work and expanding our partnerships, particularly in rolling out of the Peer Support Program to support participants post clinical trials."
In recognition of the Patient Council project, and the collaboration between Beckley Psytech and PsyPAN, Beckley Psytech received the Silver Standard in OVID Health's 2024 Patient Partnership Index in June. The Index is an annual celebration of high-quality, meaningful partnerships between patient groups and pharmaceutical companies, and this is the second consecutive year that Beckley Psytech has been recognised for its patient-focused work.
To read the Impact Report, ‘In the Participants' Words: Patient Insights from Psychedelic Clinical Trials’, please click here.
To learn more about the Peer Support Pilot Program, please click here.
About Beckley Psytech - www.beckleypsytech.com
Beckley Psytech Ltd is a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of people living with neuropsychiatric disorders by developing effective and rapid-acting psychedelic medicines. Founded in 2019, and underpinned by more than two decades of pioneering scientific research from the Beckley Foundation, Beckley Psytech combines world-leading psychedelic science with extensive drug development expertise in order to optimise patient outcomes, improve treatment opportunities and ease the burden neuropsychiatric conditions have on individuals, healthcare systems and society. The company’s lead compound, BPL-003, is a novel, synthetic 5-MeO-DMT benzoate salt formulation currently under investigation in Phase II studies as a potential therapy for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD). BPL-003 is covered by granted US, UK and European composition of matter patents, with multiple further claims pending in various jurisdictions. Beckley Psytech’s second clinical-stage asset, ELE-101, is a proprietary intravenous formulation of psilocin currently being developed as a potential treatment for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
About PsyPAN - www.psypanglobal.org
The Psychedelic Participant Advocacy Network (PsyPAN) is a non-profit organisation created to connect and empower all psychedelic participants, whether they are taking part in clinical trials or receiving therapy at the various legal treatment centres being set up globally. PsyPAN aims to give a collective voice to all participants and help improve participant safety and wellbeing by building best practice across all levels of the global psychedelic sector. This is achieved by providing consultancy and advocacy services to organisations and by empowering people to become part of a community that helps shape future trials and treatments.
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