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UW-Madison, a globally recognized psychiatric research institution, will study Filament's botanical psilocybin drug candidate, PEX010, in two clinical trials exploring neuroplasticity
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Filament Health Corp. (OTCQB: FLHLF) (Cboe CA: FH) (FSE: 7QS) ("Filament" or the "Company"), a clinical‐stage natural psychedelic drug development company, today announced that it has shipped its botanical psilocybin drug candidate, PEX010, to the University of Wisconsin–Madison (UW–Madison) for investigation in two clinical trials. Both trials are United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-authorized and will study the effects of psilocybin on neuroplasticity.
"Our goal with this research is to examine how psilocybin's effects on neuroplasticity may impact participants' wellbeing and their ability to understand the world around them," said Charles L. Raison, MD, principal investigator of both clinical trials and professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wis.
Research has shown that psilocybin can improve neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections — which may contribute to psilocybin's therapeutic effects. At UW–Madison, the first clinical trial studying PEX010, titled The ENHANCE Study, is being funded by the Tiny Blue Dot Foundation.
Tiny Blue Dot Foundation is dedicated to advancing scientific research to help individuals understand the concept of Perception Box™, a metaphor, developed by Founder Elizabeth R. Koch which represents the internal beliefs, experiences, and biases that shape how individuals view the world and engage with others. By expanding these boundaries, individuals can reduce suffering, foster greater self-acceptance and empathy for others, and reframe trauma or challenges as opportunities for personal growth.
The ENHANCE Study will dose 100 healthy volunteers to examine whether strategies that enhance psychedelic-induced neuroplasticity and increase the long-term salience of the psychedelic experience may also enhance the ability of psychedelics to support long-term enlargement of the Perception Box.
The second clinical trial, titled The RECAP2 Study, will examine the proposition that the neuroplastic effects of psychedelics such as psilocybin underlie their long-term effects on wellbeing. This premise will be investigated in a cohort of 60 physically healthy volunteers with slight decline in wellbeing.
"The University of Wisconsin–Madison is an internationally recognized leader in psychiatric research," said Benjamin Lightburn, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Filament Health. "We are proud that Dr. Raison and his team have selected Filament's drug candidate for clinical trials of this calibre and we're pleased to support their important research."