Braxia Scientific Corp. (CSE:BRAX, OTC:BRAXF) announced that it has received Health Canada's approval to provide psilocybin-assisted therapy to a patient with major depressive disorder in Ontario through its wholly-owned subsidiary the Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence (CRTCE).
The company said the approval was granted under the recently amended Health Canada Special Access Program (SAP), which was updated on January 5, 2022, to include access to psychedelic compounds on a case-by-case basis outside psychedelic trials.
While the milestone marked Braxia Scientific’s first SAP approval for the use of psilocybin in Ontario, the company noted that it was the first to receive Health Canada's approval for a multi-dose psilocybin-assisted therapy clinical trial in July 2021, dosing its first patient in November 2021.
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The company said it has provided psilocybin-assisted therapy to 16 individuals living with depression to-date.
Braxia Scientific chief medial and scientific officer Joshua Rosenblat said to the company’s knowledge, this was the first Health Canada SAP approval for psilocybin-assisted therapy for a person with major depressive disorder in Ontario.
“My patient and I are extremely grateful for this opportunity to access this promising treatment,” Rosenblat said.
"Being among the first to begin delivering psilocybin-assisted therapy treatments in Canada last year through our clinical trial, we have developed and optimized the infrastructure, including rigorous training for our therapists through our Braxia Institute, to provide a positive patient experience while optimizing outcomes.”
Braxia Scientific CEO Roger McIntyre added that the company’s ability to deliver psilocybin-assisted therapy is an important step to achieving its vision of finding a cure for depression.
“The experience of our therapists who have already delivered this novel treatment in multiple doses to multiple patients in our ongoing psilocybin trial, combined with data we've collected to-date and expect to read out in the coming weeks, provides an excellent opportunity for new applicants to receive access to the most advanced clinical protocols and care to achieve best outcomes in this field,” McIntyre said.
Canadians interested in applying to the SAP, to participate in clinical trials, or to qualify for other treatments such as IV and oral ketamine for the treatment of depression can contact the CRTCE here.
Braxia Scientific is a Toronto-based medical research company operating clinics that provide and advance innovative treatments for people living with depression and related mental health disorders.
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