Incannex Healthcare Ltd (ASX:IHL, NASDAQ:IXHL) subsidiary Clarion Clinics Group Pty Ltd has begun accepting registrations of interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) treatments through its website ahead of the planned opening of its first clinic in the third quarter.
Clarion’s purpose-designed facility with seven treatment rooms and other facilities conducive to PAT is on the Yarra Riverfront in the Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford.
The fit-out of the premises is expected to be completed before the end of August, paving the way for the opening as soon as the clinic’s psychiatrists are approved to prescribe psychedelic compounds used in Clarion’s PAT protocols by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).
“This is the first step in the process towards receiving treatment and we anticipate that there will be a high level of interest in our leading-edge treatments,” Incannex director responsible for Clarion Peter Widdows said.
A pressing issue
According to Australian health authorities, an estimated 12% of Australians will suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lifetime, with 1.5% of the population or 390,000 people having an active PTSD diagnosis.
Notably, certain groups, including defence force personnel, military veterans, first responders and specific minority groups, make up a disproportionate share of individuals experiencing this debilitating mental health disorder.
Further, about 26.5% of the just over one million Australians diagnosed with depression do not adequately respond to standard treatments, leading to the need for alternative therapies like psychedelic-assisted treatments.
Alternative treatment
Clarion director and chief scientific officer Dr Paul Liknaitzky said: “The term ‘treatment-resistant’ has misleading connotations, implying that all avenues have been exhausted and that front-line treatments work well for everyone else.
“In reality, neither are typically true. For people who have suffered from certain conditions that have not responded to available treatments, psychedelic-assisted therapies may provide substantial improvements to negative symptoms and quality of life.
“At Clarion Clinics, our aim is to achieve the best outcomes possible using psychedelic therapies, through tailored and extended protocols and a brilliant team.”
New hope
Incannex specialises in medicinal cannabinoid pharmaceutical products and psychedelic medicine therapies for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea, traumatic brain injury and concussion, lung inflammation, rheumatoid arthritis and anxiety and addiction disorders, among others.
Clarion’s nine-month-long treatment program, designed to maximise patients’ chance of positive results, was developed by the clinic’s leadership of Liknaitzky, Professor Suresh Sundram and Clarion director and head of Psychotherapy Sean O’Carroll.
The protocol involves a thorough pre-treatment assessment process, including psychiatric evaluation and diagnosis, medical assessment and psychological assessment.