Psychedelic Report
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OCEAN WALL PSYCHEDELICS May 2021 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Psychedelics has seen huge increase in investment focus in the last few years, but for many it remains a misunderstood, much maligned, and extremely niche sector. Here we seek to give you its history, research - past and present, who are the companies involved – established and start-up – big and small – public and private, and who the big investors in this sector are. Investors are now actively investing in psychedelic medicine. Recent reports indicate that the global market for functional mushrooms, is forecasted to reach $34.3 billion by 2024 and continues growing at a respectable CAGR of 8%.1 Unlike cannabis, which remains federally illegal in the U.S., the work psychedelic companies are doing is legal. This creates a greater opportunity to access growth capital from private investors who may not want to touch cannabis. It also sets the industry apart with it also being a more concentrated space because the barriers to entry are much higher.2 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) status on the use of psychedelics appears to be quickly evolving, following the breakthrough therapy status for treatment-resistant depression in 2020 which appears poised to receive approvals in 2021. Back in December 2019, a ketamine-like drug – esketamine – was licenced for use in the UK as a rapid onset treatment for major depression, and in December 2020, regulators approved UK’s Small Pharma to conduct the world’s first clinical trial to explore DMT as a treatment for depression. With mental health becoming a global problem – which has only been exasperated by the COVID pandemic – there is real urgency to find alternative and new treatments. Untreated mental health problems account for 13% of the total global burden of disease. Currently more than 300 million people suffer from depression worldwide, and around 800,000 people commit suicide every year. Of that 300 million – more than a third of people suffer from treatment-resistant depression, meaning they do not respond to at least 2 or 3 currently available therapies and treatments. In addition, addictions are on the increase and two years ago the NHS reported that 10% of inpatients in hospital were alcohol dependant. A huge part of this crisis is because currently available treatments have not changed since 1980s and we still don’t actually have a cure for any of these mental health problems. Without new drugs and treatments, it is projected that, by 2030, mental health problems (particularly depression) will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally. However, there is some encouraging news on treatments with numerous clinical trials underway around the world and psychedelic medicines already showing positive results in their Phase II and III trials. Finally, there could be a new approach to treating this growing issue. There is still some catching up around the world to do – in the most part from drug regulators – where urgent reviews and new evaluations and categorisations of psychedelic chemicals are needed. A campaign to educate and bring awareness of the positive aspects of psychedelics as a credible treatment is also needed. If there are good results, we do not want to have populations who are reluctant to take that treatment due to out of date and misinformed views. 1 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/26/2134221/0/en/Pure-Extracts-Advances-Plans-for-the-Processing-of-Functional-Mushroom-Formulations.html 2 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-11/move-over-pot-psychedelic-companies-are-about-to-go-public OCEAN WALL CONTENTS Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 The History Of Psychedelics .................................................................................................................................... 5 Ancient Origins ................................................................................................................................................... 5 Birth Of Modern Psychedelics ............................................................................................................................ 6 War On Drugs ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 Legal Ramifications............................................................................................................................................. 7 Psychedelic Renassiance .................................................................................................................................... 8 Debunking Lies ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Funding Issues ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Renewed Research ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Public Opinion .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 How Do They Work And What Do They Treat? .................................................................................................... 13 Overview Of Psychedelics Function ................................................................................................................. 13 How Do Psychedelics Create Perceptual Change? ........................................................................................... 13 Why Do De Need Psychedelics? ....................................................................................................................... 14 Depression ................................................................................................................................................... 14 PTSD ............................................................................................................................................................. 14 Addiction ...................................................................................................................................................... 15 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (“OCD”) ..................................................................................................... 15 Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s ........................................................................................................................ 15 Cluster Headaches ....................................................................................................................................... 15 Anxiety and Depression in Cancer Patients ................................................................................................. 16 Treatment Risks ................................................................................................................................................ 16 Therapeutic Potential ....................................................................................................................................... 17 Psilocybin ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 Treatments ................................................................................................................................................... 19 LSD .................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Treatments ................................................................................................................................................... 21 MDMA .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Treatments ................................................................................................................................................... 23 DMT .................................................................................................................................................................. 24 Treatments ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Ketamine .......................................................................................................................................................... 25 OCEAN WALL Treatments ................................................................................................................................................... 25 Investment Opportunites In The Psychedelic Industry ......................................................................................... 26 Psychedelics And The Market .........................................................................................................................