MHA’s mission is to develop and support legislative, regulatory, and other policies that encourage research, education, and product development. This path will allow MHA to identify benefits and treatments of new medicines in healthcare for patients struggling with unmet medical needs.
MHC INITIATIVES
Reschedule psilocybin to move the research forward – As a Schedule 1 controlled substance, psilocybin can be difficult for researchers to obtain and use. Preventing diversion and inappropriate use of the drug is important. However, federal law should be modified to allow for expanded and more flexible research use.
Provide the latest news about psychedelics – Seemingly every day there is news about this promising field. State and federal policy makers and regulators are proposing new ideas for funding and regulation, new research results are being published, and product developers continue to make progress. The MHC will help you stay abreast of the latest developments.
Work with policy makers to secure more federal funding for psychedelics research – Research continues to show that psychedelics hold promise for treatment of conditions such as PTSD and treatment-resistant depression, two conditions particularly prevalent among veterans. To build on these results, more federal research is needed through the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health. The MHC will advocate for increased funding in these areas.
Why New Approaches to Medicine?
We are at the intersection of science, regulation, and entrepreneurship that is just beginning to understand how to best integrate these new medicines in healthcare. There is a wave of activity right now but, as always, with excitement comes the need for caution. These therapies need to come to market in a regulated way. We believe in the power that policy, science, and clinical trials must bring new treatments to the patients who need it most.
Advocacy momentum has led to scientific research has steadily been gaining momentum with early data being promising. The data shows these compounds can be safe, well tolerated, and, when used in the right set and setting, show promise to treat some of the most challenging therapeutic indications such as PTSD, anxiety, addiction, and depression.
Recent ballots put forward in Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Colorado, and California have these states on track to permit psilocybin to be manufactured and used for medicinal purposes. Herein lies the challenge: delivering medicine is not a recreational or access issue. By bringing new medicines through the proper regulatory pathways such as the FDA based on rigorous science, these therapies can make a massive impact on the healthcare landscape.