Entheon Biomedical CEO Timothy Ko On The Potential Of Psychedelics In Addiction Treatment – Benzinga

Among the biggest challenges faced bythe psychedelics industry is the stigma that surrounds it.

"The anti-drug marketing of the past decades was highly effective, and so now when psychedelics are mentioned, visions of tie-dye come to mind," Timothy Ko told Benzinga.

The times are changing.

An uptickin "rigorous" academic studies is underway where drugs that werepreviously viewed as dangerousare now being considered by the Food and Drug Administrationas potential treatments for addiction.

Ko is one entrepreneur working in this space. As CEO of Entheon Biomedical, he overseesthe development of psychedelic medicines to help those dealing with substance use disorder. And he's not doing it alone.

What makes Entheon Biomedical different from other companies in the space is the expertise of those involved, Ko said.

We sought the advice of the leaders in the psychedelic space who are familiar not only with the pharmacological aspects of the science, but also the patient experience."

Another differentiator is that British Columbia-based Entheonfocuseson DMT, a hallucinogenic tryptamine drug and the main active ingredient in the plant medicine Ayahuasca.

Psilocybin and DMT are both tryptamines and work on many of the same receptors in the human body, as they are molecularly very similar," Ko explained. "Much of the visual and emotional components of the experiences are similar, and it is possible to create psilocybin-like experiences with the appropriate dosing of DMT."

DMT is widely found in many plant and animal species, and even in the human brain. This makes it a safer drug, Ko said.

The molecule is very well tolerated and metabolized in humans, he said.DMT is well-known to be short-actingand intense, but if properly harnessed and administered, the experience can be elongatedand smoothed out to be less jarring, and result in a therapeutically useful experience.

People typicallyassociate the word addiction with substance abuse. In reality, the problem is much more complex, as there are many types of addictions.

Aside from substance abuse, a person can be addicted to certain behaviors, like gambling.

I define addiction as any behavior that has negative consequences that one is compelled to persist in and relapse into and crave despite those negative consequences, saidaddiction expert Dr. Gabor Mat.

With this broader definition, it is easier to understand why addiction is such a massive problem across the globe.

Still, the statistics are more focused on those with substance abuse. TheWorld Health Organization estimatesthatthere are around 31 million people who currently struggle with these issues, and around 11 million people who inject drugs. On top of that, it is projected there are 3.3 million deaths a year from alcohol abuse.

Ko'sown personal experiences inspired him to explore addiction treatments.

Psychedelics, he sais, saved his life.

Ko said his brother struggled with substance use disorder and mental illness over the course of two decades.

Personally, psychedelics, and more specifically DMT, were instrumental in helping me to reconcile my life, and come to terms with the multitude of traumas, strained relationshipsand maladaptive beliefs and behaviors that a person amasses over a lifetime, Ko told Benzinga.

Other therapies didn't work, and Ko said he found himself on the brink of a spiritual, mental and emotional collapse.

When he was finally connected with DMT, Ko said ithelped him change not only his self-perception, but his perspective about his relationships and the world.

I was a changed man, and thus proceeded with the best years of my life.

Unfortunately, his brother didnt share the same fate, as he died in March 2019.Every conventional therapeutic intervention failed, Ko said.

Following my brothers passing and knowing the transformative potential of psychedelics, I set out to assemble a team that would include those already leading psychedelic research and consult with them to develop a product to help people like my brother."

Psilocybin researchhasalready shown promise in the treatment of addiction, he said.

Psilocybin and DMT affect the same neurotransmitters," Ko said. "DMT, when properly dosed, can recreate the effects of psilocybin.

The public perception of psychedelics runs the gamutfrom oblivious, to skeptical, to overly excited, Ko said. As a result, it is often challenging to makesure that the narrativeis presented to the general population in a way that doesn't discouragelegitimate science, businessesand benefits, the CEO said

"With investors becoming more discerning to hype, and implausible stories, I think that we will see a paring down of players in the space."

An increase in FDA research willhelp move the market in the right direction, he said.

The realities are changing as drugs like ketamine and MDMA, previously thought to be of no therapeutic benefit, are now being reclassified as potential cures to diseases, he said."As these findings prove usefulness and safety, the argument of good is backed by empiricism."

Photo courtesy of Entheon Biomedical.

2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

View post:

Entheon Biomedical CEO Timothy Ko On The Potential Of Psychedelics In Addiction Treatment - Benzinga

Related Posts

Comments are closed.