EU funds new research into psychedelic therapy for palliative care patients

26 Jan 2024 --- The PsyPal clinical trial coordinated by the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands, in collaboration with HumanKindLabs, will receive full funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe program for scientific research. PsyPal is set to explore the therapeutic potential of psilocybin therapy for patients experiencing psychological distress in the face of disease.

“We are absolutely thrilled that the EU is supporting this ambitious collaborative study,” says Robert Schoevers, head of psychiatry at the UMCG and principal investigator of PsyPal.

“There is growing recognition that psychedelic treatments may help patients for whom alternatives are not effective, and I am very glad we are receiving support from this highly prestigious funding program.”

“It really helps to strengthen the collaboration between researchers from different countries and disciplines, focusing on potentially transformative interventions for severe, currently treatment-resistant mental disorders,” he adds.

Clinical trials
The PsyPal study, set to begin in 2024, will involve over 100 patients grappling with psychological and existential distress consequence of one of four progressive diseases: chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and atypical Parkinson’s disease (APD).

Research is set to be conducted across four clinical sites specializing in specific conditions, including COPD, APD at the Champalimaud Foundation in Portugal, MS at the National Institute of Mental Health in the Czech Republic and ALS, jointly at the University of Copenhagen and the Bispebjerg Hospital in Denmark.

“We are eager to see if we can ease the suffering of these patients whilst also examining longer-term patient and family outcomes of this treatment, something that often gets overlooked but that is of enormous importance,” Schoevers comments.

Participants will undergo two therapy sessions, each receiving psilocybin and a placebo. PsyPal will be the first clinical trial to investigate the safety and effects of psilocybin in non-oncology palliative care patients.

COPD, MS, ALS and APD are incurable and life-altering conditions that often lead to the loss of autonomy and severe psychological distress, with existing interventions often falling short.

Benefits of psychotherapy
Previous psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, particularly using psilocybin, has shown promising outcomes in addressing the depression and distress often accompanying an incurable illness or cancer diagnosis.

PsyPal is set to adopt a comprehensive approach by combining psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy to address the deep-seated human needs of the patients. Through this approach, it aims to provide coping mechanisms beyond clinical outcomes that alleviates distress as patients approach the end of their lives. 

A recent survey revealed that 79% of Canadians support the prescription of psychedelics for end-of-life patients. 

Last year, a Canadian armed forces veteran diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression was given the green light to macro-dose psilocybin. 

A research conducted last year in the US looking into psilocybin use for depressive symptoms and executive dysfunction revealed the substance may offer significant relief to patients.

By Milana Nikolova