Australia’s First Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Clinic Receives Key Endorsement, Paving Way for Innovative Mental Health Treatments

NEW YORK- In a significant milestone for mental healthcare in Australia, Incannex Healthcare Ltd’s subsidiary, Clarion Clinics, has received the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) endorsement for its pioneering psychedelic-assisted therapy clinic in Melbourne. This endorsement represents a crucial step in the administration of psychedelic drugs for therapeutic purposes in Australia, especially for conditions like Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The approval by HREC is mandatory under Australian law for the administration of psychedelic substances. This move positions Clarion Clinics as the first dedicated center for psychedelic-assisted therapy in the country. The clinic, strategically located on the Yarra Riverfront in Abbottsford, Melbourne, is designed to provide an optimal environment for these treatments, with facilities including seven treatment rooms and a group therapy room. With a capacity to treat approximately 600 people annually, this facility sets the stage for a potential expansion of psychedelic-assisted therapy across Australia and, as regulations evolve, internationally.

Under the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Authorised Prescriber Scheme, psychiatrists are required to have HREC endorsement for their qualifications and treatment protocols. Clarion Clinics has successfully met these requirements, receiving approval for both Psilocybin and MDMA-assisted therapy for TRD and PTSD, respectively. This endorsement follows the TGA’s decision in July 2023 to reclassify psilocybin and MDMA from schedule 9 to schedule 8, allowing authorized psychiatrists to prescribe these substances.

The Melbourne clinic is not just a medical facility but a commercial scale prototype for future larger clinics. It symbolizes a significant shift in the treatment of mental health conditions in Australia, where an estimated 670,000 people suffer from either TRD, PTSD, or both at any given time. Traditional treatments often fail to provide relief for many of these patients, but psychedelic-assisted therapy has shown promising results in clinical trials.

Peter Widdows, IHL Director responsible for Clarion Clinics, highlighted the potential of this treatment to be life-changing for hundreds of thousands in Australia and millions worldwide. Joel Latham, CEO and President of IXHL, emphasized that being the first in this field positions Incannex and Clarion at the forefront of psychedelic-assisted therapies. He anticipates that the success of this clinic will facilitate the company’s expansion nationwide and potentially globally as other countries look to Australia’s lead in this innovative field.

Incannex Healthcare Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical development company, is known for developing unique medicinal cannabis products and psychedelic medicine therapies for a range of conditions including obstructive sleep apnea, traumatic brain injury, lung inflammation, and anxiety disorders, among others. With a robust patent strategy and 19 granted patents, Incannex is actively pursuing U.S. FDA approval for its treatments, aiming to address unmet medical needs in several major health conditions. The company’s latest achievement with the Clarion Clinics in Australia represents a significant advancement in the field of mental healthcare and psychedelic medicine.