Therapy

• The FDA has placed psilocybin and an MDMA-like drug on an accelerated 1-to-2 month approval track, potentially making psilocybin the first FDA-approved psychedelic therapy. • This fast-track process follows a Trump executive order and the use of priority review vouchers, with full approval possible by late 2026. • The shift is supported by evolving psychiatric science, highlighted by the Chicago VA Hospital recently enrolling its first veterans in a psilocybin-assisted therapy program for PTSD.

• The FDA approved the first therapy for primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy in December 2021, marking a significant milestone for patients with this rare kidney disease. • Following this initial approval, several additional novel drugs have received accelerated FDA approval, leading to a rapid expansion of available treatment options. • This "explosion" in therapies is critical as it provides clinicians and patients with a more robust pipeline of medical interventions to manage the disease.

Prison officers’ union calls for immediate end to practice at HMYOI Wetherby over fears for child and animal welfarePet ferrets kept as therapy animals at the UK’s largest children’s prison have been co-opted by managers to kill rats, resulting in a bloody incident and concerns over child and animal welfare.The unorthodox method of vermin control was waved through last month at HMYOI Wetherby in West Yorkshire following a surge in rat numbers in prison offices and grounds. Continue reading...

Poolbeg Pharma to test the treatment in NHS hospitals and says it is also developing a GLP-1 weight loss pillA London-based startup is about to trial a drug at six NHS hospitals that could stop people on cancer immunotherapy getting a life-threatening side-effect.Poolbeg Pharma said its oral drug POLB 001 could make treatment for blood cancer safer by preventing cytokine release syndrome (CRS), when the immune system goes into overdrive and attacks the body, leading to organ damage. Continue reading...

Doctors say therapy that genetically modifies person’s T-cells could offer cure for chronic autoimmune diseaseFive lupus patients in England are in remission after being treated with a revolutionary therapy that genetically modifies their own cells, in a medical breakthrough that could offer people a cure, doctors have said.CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy involves removing a type of white blood cell also called T lymphocytes, which are crucial for hunting out infected or damaged cells, and engineering them to spot and destroy disease. The T-cells are then fed back into the patient via an infusion to reset their immune system. Continue reading...

• Former President Trump signed an executive order in April titled “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness” to fast-track research and drug approvals for psychedelic-assisted therapy. • The order aims to increase clinical trial participation and explore innovative research models to treat serious mental health conditions. • This federal push provides a new path for psychedelic research in Missouri, where state lawmakers have failed for several years to pass similar legislation.

• Missouri State Rep. Dave Griffith is advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat veterans suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. • The initiative follows an April executive order signed by Donald Trump titled “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” which aims to speed up drug approvals and clinical trial participation. • The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to allocate at least $50 million to support state governments developing programs for psychedelic drugs.