Building a Voice for Psychedelic Research
In the second part of his video interview with Pharma Commerce Editor Nicholas Saraceno, Jon Kostas, executive director, Association for Prescription Psychedelics (APP), explains why this resource is an asset, specifically for research in the psychedelic space.
In a video interview with Pharma Commerce, Jon Kostas,executive director of the APP, discusses how the main goals and priorities of the APP are to serve as a trusted industry voice in the realm of psychedelics, aiming to provide clarity in an area that is often confusing due to the wide range of information and varying compounds. The organization seeks to advance psychedelic treatments through the FDA approval process, making these therapies accessible, affordable, and covered by insurance. In addition to expanding access, the APP emphasizes patient safety, ensuring that individuals receive the correct dosage and undergo appropriate mental and physical screenings before treatment. The focus is also on establishing best practices and safety standards for psychedelic use, ensuring that only eligible and qualified patients pursue these treatments.
Kostas also explains why he believes there was a need for this type of resource, and what went into the making the launch happen, while sharing a personal story surrounding his participation in a randomized clinical trial involving psilocybin.
A transcript of Kostas’ conversation with PC can be found below.
PC: Why did you believe there was a need for this type of resource?
Kostas: We've been at this for a couple of years now with initial discussions. We’ve had great relationships prior to this—starting with the members—so we've always had an open line of communication. Our work prior to this was a lot of educational work for the decision makers. What we would do is facilitate getting the best subject matter experts in front of the decision makers in Congress or in the executive branch, to lead with the data and the scientific evidence out there. This naturally happened. The timing couldn't have been better, with a new Congress coming in and a new Administration coming in, so despite what party was in power or will be in power in the future, it's good to have an association to be that guiding voice into responsible research and hopefully, medical applications of these compounds.
