Numinus Adds Ayahuasca & San Pedro to Federal License for Psychedelic Research

News provided by

Mar 09, 2022, 07:30 ET

Health Canada license renewal expands Numinus' extensive list of permissible R&D activities

VANCOUVER, BC, March 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF), a mental healthcare company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, is pleased to announce that it has received approval from Health Canada to study Ayahuasca and San Pedro at its licensed, state-of-the-art research facility, Numinus Bioscience. This license expansion will further position Numinus as a recognized global research centre for natural psychedelic medicines, and supplements the current work Numinus is already undertaking on Psilocybe species and inherent synergistic compounds.

Through renewal of its Dealers' License, Numinus Bioscience is now permitted to work with San Pedro cactus, the beta-carbolines harmaline and harmalol, and the following botanical materials: Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis, Diplopterys cabrerana, Mimosa tenuiflora.

The botanical materials are notable for their role as admixtures to Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew made from multiple plant materials and consumed in Amazonian Indigenous traditional practices for ceremonial, medicinal and spiritual purposes. Harmaline and harmalol naturally occur in B. caapi, while P. viridis, D. cabrerana and M. tenuiflora contain DMT (N, N-Dimethyltryptamine), a tryptamine that produces psychedelic effects. Research will be done to develop standardized analytical methods for the starting materials, finished Ayahuasca brews, and San Pedro (which contains the psychedelic compound, mescaline).

"There is little industry research currently being done on these botanicals," said Sharan Sidhu, Science Officer and General Manager, Numinus Bioscience. "This exciting advancement at Numinus broadens our study of naturally occurring ethnobotanical substances and admixtures and the synergies of the compounds. This is a first step in helping us better understand their mechanisms and potential therapeutic applications."

Since 2020, Numinus Bioscience has significantly amended its license to widen its range of research activities, with prior approvals allowing study of the following: DMT, Ketamine, LSD, MDMA, Mescaline, Psilocin, Psilocybin. Approved activities for these include possession, analytical testing, production, assembly, sale, export and delivery.

"Many naturally occurring psychedelic compounds have already been in traditional use for millennia," said Payton Nyquvest, CEO and founder, Numinus. "These amendments honour and build on those practices while allowing us to do novel clinical research and deepen the body of scientific data for scaled development and greater public access to much-needed therapies."

About Numinus

Numinus Wellness helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model – including psychedelic production, research and clinic care – is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society.

Learn more at numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend" and statements that an event "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements even if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc.