While evidence from psilocybin studies in rodents demonstrates long–term coping strategy and cognitive function behavioural effects that can be compared to those of traditional antidepressant treatments^1., a “gold-standard” protocol for assessing the behavioural effects of psychedelics has yet to be established.   

There is a paucity of robust comparative data between studies on the effects of psychedelics on rodent behaviour.  What research there is is confounded by variations in factors such as animal model, behavioural measures, type of drug, dosing strategies, time intervals between dosing and testing, and, as in humans, the influence of “set and setting” on the learning of new coping strategies in tests such as the forced swim test (FST) and elevated plus maze (EPM)^2..  This makes comparisons of behaviour relevant to psychiatric and cognitive functions observed across the different studies difficult, if not impossible.
 

Renewed interest in psilocybin research warrants further investigation into these differences in order to answer questions regarding the mechanism of action and pharmacology, and ultimately facilitate the therapeutic benefit to reach the general populace.

With a growing pipeline of new compounds, investments, strategic partnerships and collaborations across the industry, we believe an opportunity exists for the development of an integrated “gold standard”, preclinical , in vivo toxicological and behavioural testing protocol for psychedelics that will meet all the regulatory requirements while setting a high barrier to market entry.

Hoeford Research is committed to enhancing lives and alleviating illnesses, especially for those suffering from mental illness.  We are seeking to engage with an early-stage psychedelic developer as a partner in the establishment of a comprehensive R&D platform – including the provision of dedicated laboratory space, scientific and technical teams – to advance knowledge in this area and create standardised in vivo testing that can be adopted across the segment.

Contact us to arrange an initial discussion.

References:

1. Hibicke M, Landry AN, Kramer HM, Talman ZK, Nichols CD. Psychedelics, but Not Ketamine, Produce Persistent Antidepressant-like Effects in a Rodent Experimental System for the Study of Depression. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2020 Mar 18;11(6):864-871. doi: 10.1021/acschemneuro.9b00493. Epub 2020 Mar 5. PMID: 32133835. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32133835/

2. De Gregorio D, Aguilar-Valles A, Preller KH, Heifets BD, Hibicke M, Mitchell J, Gobbi G. Hallucinogens in Mental Health: Preclinical and Clinical Studies on LSD, Psilocybin, MDMA, and Ketamine. J Neurosci. 2021 Feb 3;41(5):891-900. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1659-20.2020. Epub 2020 Nov 30. PMID: 33257322; PMCID: PMC7880300. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7880300/