By Pat Anson, PNN Editor

A startup pharmaceutical company has announced plans to investigate the use of LSD and other psychedelics to treat chronic pain.

New York-based Mind Medicine (MindMed) is exploring the use of psychedelics to treat two pain conditions, which it is calling “Project Angie.” The company is already investigating the use of psychedelics to treat addiction, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

"With the launch of Project Angie, we seek to align closely with MindMed's core mission to improve mental health and combat substance use for the many patients in need. If we can help to develop a new paradigm to treat pain, it may have the potential to greatly reduce the use of addictive medicines such as opioids currently ravaging society and its mental health," MindMed CEO & Co-Founder J.R. Rahn said in a statement.

MindMed did not disclose what pain conditions it was developing treatments for, but it is working with researchers in Switzerland who have a Phase 2 clinical trial underway on the use of LSD to treat cluster headache. The company said it is also evaluating a second indication for a “common, often debilitating, chronic pain syndrome.”

Interest in using psychedelics to treat medical conditions has been growing in recent years. Preliminary research suggests that microdoses of LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and other psychedelics may offer a new way to treat pain. The exact mechanism in which psychedelics have an analgesic effect is not fully understood, but early research indicates that LSD can modulate serotonin receptors that help regulate pain and inflammation.

"Evidence dating back to the 1950s suggests that LSD and other psychedelics may have analgesic effects, but this treatment area remains largely untapped by companies studying psychedelics, with the majority of research focusing solely on psychiatric indications," said Rob Barrow, MindMed’s Chief Development Officer. 

The company is planning to submit a Pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the Food and Drug Administration for a Phase 2a proof of concept study of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) in the second half of 2021.

MindMed will have to clear some high regulatory hurdles. LSD, psilocybin, MDMA (Ecstasy) and other psychedelics are classified as Schedule I controlled substances, meaning they have a high potential for abuse and currently have no accepted medical use in the United States.