Mind Cure Health (MCUR.C) announced the development of two proprietary ketamine-enhanced protocols specifically for pain management and another for depression, according to a press release.
Depression is basically the common cold of mental illness, but unlike the rhinovirus and its effects, we don’t particularly understand it all that well. Often with disastrous consequences. We all get blue sometimes owing to diet, sleep or any other biological factors in play and when those conditions are met, we float along at a blissful content pace. But for true depression sufferers the default state is pain and a consistent state of quiet desperation.
If you’re unfamiliar with the difference between a protocol and a procedure – procedures are task oriented and give step-by-step instructions on how to do a task. A protocol defines a set of procedures to follow to complete said task.
These protocols will be available on MCUR’s iSTRYM centralized management system. iSTRYM is a software application that eases the path to healing for both patients and clinicians before, during and after therapy, by providing options, data and support to care providers.
“Delivering on this milestone – having ketamine-enhanced psychotherapy protocols available through our digital therapeutics platform – confirms our end-to-end care model. For clinics, this means access to a broad menu of services. For psychedelic companies, we offer partnership opportunities to distribute their protocols. We’re moving forward with enthusiasm and remain on schedule to launch iSTRYM’s MVP to select clinics in Q3 of this year,” according to Kelsey Ramsden Mindcure’s president and CEO.
Mindcure is a life sciences company working on finding new innovations and commercial opportunities for healing and mental health. The company’s latest project involves developing digital therapeutics tech and researching psychedelic compounds for easier access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies on a global level.
The iSTRYM system offers therapists access to science-backed protocols, completely customizable dashboards, plans for integration, as well as insights into issues faced by other patients and real-time assessment options for more personalized care for clients.
These protocols were developed by Doctor Mitch Earleywine, a psychology professor from the University of Albany, SUNY, and co-founder of Wisdom in Nature Consulting Group. Earleywine has published over 250 papers in peer-reviewed journals for psychedelic-assisted treatments, depression, health, personality and substance abuse, and he’s the co-developer of Integrative Ketamine-Enhanced Psychotherapy for affective, trauma and stress-related disorders.
Developing this distribution network for psychedelics gives Mindcure the opportunity to create value all along the value chain from client, clinic, protocol develop and drug developer. Presently in development, they’ll roll out iSTRYM to a set number of clinics throughout North America in Q3 2021 with an anticipated broad launch to clinics in Q1 2022.
—Joseph Morton
