Cybin Inc. is a biotechnology company working on the development of progressive therapeutics for the treatment of mental health. According to Cybin, one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives.
In response, the company believes that the success of psychedelic therapies are key to addressing the current mental health crisis and altering the current treatment process. Cybin recognizes the use of psychedelics within indegenous cultures throughout history and seeks to build upon this science.
In June, the company announced the plan for a randomized, placebo-controlled trial co-sponsored by the University of Washington. The trial will examine the effectiveness of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy using psilocybin. The targets of the trial are frontline healthcare workers who are currently suffering high levels of mental health distress in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Doug Drysdale, CEO of Cybin Inc. shares, “For more than a year now, frontline clinicians and healthcare professionals have made immeasurable sacrifices to protect public health in their communities. We consider it an honor and our duty to now help support their own healing processes, post-COVID-19. We are also delighted and proud to launch EMBARK, a ground-breaking psychotherapy model aimed at delivering best-practice, supportive healing in conjunction with psychedelic therapeutics. We look forward to working with and supporting Dr. Anthony Back on this important program.”
Dr, Anthony Back is a board-certified physician at the University of Washington, Founding Co-director of the University of Washington Center for Excellence in Palliative Care, and a University of Washington professor of Oncology and Medicine.
EMBARK had been developed to demonstrate theories of therapeutic treatment and their clinical efficacy. It is an adaptable, transdiagnostic psychotherapy that aims to treat a wide range of mental health issues and populations.
Cybin’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Alex Belsner, urges, “Our nation’s doctors, nurses and clinicians have been shouldering the burden of COVID-19 by taking care of the sickest among us. They’re experiencing high levels of anxiety, depression and burnout. Now it’s our turn to help them.
“We are sponsoring research to see if psychedelic medicine, when used with EMBARK’s supportive therapy, can help clinicians recover from COVID-related distress.”