Mental health and wellness company combining the practice of administering psychedelic medicine with holistic integrated psychotherapy Numinus Wellness Inc. (TSX: NUMI) has applauded Health Canada for amending Special Access Programme (SAP) to allow physicians to request patient access to psychedelic medicine.
The psychedelic medicines include MDMA and psilocybin assisted therapies for serious treatment resistant or even life threatening conditions on a case-by-case basis. Undoubtedly, this amendment has the ability to positively impact the lives of people going through serious mental conditions across Canada.
“We applaud Health Canada and hope this is the first in a series of regulatory reforms where the federal government can provide leadership with the best interests of Canadians in mind. We know that, with all currently illegal drugs, doing nothing only creates public and patient safety concerns that can best be addressed by thoughtful regulatory approaches,” said the company’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Evan Wood.
According to the amendment by Health Canada, access will be provided when there is sufficient data to support the safety and efficacy of the psychedelic medicine for specific condition of the patient and it will be available after the regulations come into force after the amendment is published in the Canada Gazette on January 5 2022.
“Amending the SAP and righting a historical wrong based on stigma highlights Canada’s commitment to making psychedelic-assisted therapies a possibility for the many Canadians who struggle with mental wellness. While we believe this is only the beginning of greater change to come, it signifies an important step towards creating expanded safe access to treatment and care in the mental health sector through psychedelic medicine. I am proud of our team who have had a longstanding role in advocating for this reform,” said the company’s CEO, Payton Nyquvest.
