Potential of monetizing HPPD research by identifying biomarkers to identify individuals who have a higher risk of developing HPPD if they take psychedelics
MIAMI, Feb. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ehave, Inc. (OTC Pink: EHVVF) (the “Company”), a Healthcare Analytics provider with interests in the psychedelic and mental health sectors, is pleased to announce it has completed the first phase of its series of studies with the University of Melbourne to determine the cause and possible cure for hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD). On July 2, 2021, the Company entered into the Research Project Agreement with The University of Melbourne to gather data and bio-markers to target HPPD, characterized by prolonged or reoccurring perceptual symptoms reminiscent of acute hallucinogen effects, panic attacks and depression.
The HPPD study with the University of Melbourne marks one of several strategic transactions that Ehave has completed in recent months to support its research and development pipeline of active psychedelic-based and potential clinical programs for mental health. Ehave is exploring the potential of monetizing its HPPD research by developing a cure that extends beyond psychedelics by identifying biomarkers to identify individuals who have a higher risk of developing HPPD if they take psychedelics. HPPD, also known as a “bad trip,” causes individuals to have recurring visual disturbances recalling only the part of the psychedelic experience that involved visions. This can cause anxiety and affect a person’s vision. As many as 5% of LSD users report some version of HPPD and serious cases could be as frequent as 1 in every 100 users of psychedelics. HPPD is most commonly caused by LSD and Mushrooms, but also can be caused by MDMA, Cannabis, and even SSRIs. The study is expected to last 12 months and consist of three stages.
The first stage of the study identified a battery of visual tasks to cover a broad assessment of optical processing that included a pilot comprised of visual tasks and survey questions in approximately 300 undergraduate students. Participants were 18-41 years old with a median age of 20. Approximately 15% the sample had taken psychedelics recreationally, and almost 80% of the sample reported some form of visual disturbance.
The phase one testing process results indicated a much higher incidence of visual disturbances in people with no diagnosis of HPPD. These results are consistent with recent research in visual snow, similar to HPPD but requires no history of drug use for the diagnosis. The study also found a high incidence of visual disturbances linked to non-psychedelic drugs, along with evidence suggesting a potential link between participants’ discomfort and distress from visual disturbances and mental health, such as anxiety and depression, as well as migraines. The data from phase one of our testing process is from the University of Melbourne undergraduate sample, not the HPPD community. Phase two of the trial will include a more extensive participant base, specifically from the HPPD community. We believe the risk factors of HPPD will be linked more to a history of anxiety, depression, and migraine, suggesting people with such conditions have a higher risk of developing HPPD if they take psychedelics.
Ben Kaplan, CEO of Ehave, said, “Ehave’s goal in completing phase one of this study with the University of Melbourne was to develop data for our active psychedelic-based and potential clinical programs for mental health. We are very pleased with the progress so far. Ehave intends to be the industry leader in preventing negative side effects during treatment for mental health issues.” Mr. Kaplan continued, “Our goal is to be the Company that prevents individuals from suffering from a lifetime of flashbacks after being treated for mental health issues with these powerful molecules. We believe determining the cause of HPPD and finding a possible cure will help us better understand these molecules as a whole.”
About Ehave, Inc.
Ehave is a leading healthcare services and technology company, focused on progressing psychedelics-to-Therapeutics by engineering novel compounds and new treatment protocols for treating brain health. Together with our network of scientists and mental health professionals, we are on a mission to create safe and effective therapeutics for patients to address a multitude of mental health issues, leveraging clinical data to help us achieve optimal patient outcomes. Ehave’s operations span across the entire USA, Canada, Jamaica, and Australia. Additional information on Ehave can be found on the Company’s website at: www.ehave.com.
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