ASK US series: Exploring the clinical trials landscape for psychedelics in Canada

Question: What is the evolving clinical trials landscape for psychedelics in Canada?

There is growing interest in the therapeutic potential of products commonly known as psychedelics to treat a variety of health concerns including mental health, pain, substance use disorders and more. In Canada and worldwide, there is an increasing number of clinical trials underway to evaluate the safety, effectiveness of these products. 

Join us for a riveting interview with an expert in this field – Dr. Francois Loew to have more insights on this emerging field within clinical trials. We will discuss the nomenclature, current areas of trials, safety considerations, potential risks and benefits, the licensing and evolving regulations on psychedelic trials in this broadcast. 

Guest speaker:

Dr. W Francois Louw, CCFP(EM), FCFP, MBChB (Pret), DA(SA), ECFMG, Adv. Dipl Pain Mgt CAPM (Interventional Pain Management)

Chief medical officer, EntheoTech

Associate professor, UBC Department of Family

Dr. Louw is a founding member and treating physician at the Bill Nelems Pain and Research Centre, the biggest comprehensive pain clinic in Canada. Dr. Louw is triple certified in GP anaesthesia, emergency medicine and pain medicine with multiple research interests in these fields. He serves as clinical associate professor at UBC department of family and is a past president of the Canadian Association of Orthopaedic Medicine.  

He also serves as the chief medical officer of a Canadian research driven group and is currently researching the role of psilocybin and ketamine-assisted therapy for chronic pain and mental health conditions, with a focus on opioid use tapering. Dr. Louw has been involved in teaching emergency medicine and pain medicine topics for more than 15 years.  He has also been providing training on a national and international level in ultrasound guided regenerative injection therapies (such as nerve hydrodissection, prolotherapy and PRP) for more than a decade. 

Dr. Louw is passionate about improving both physical and mental health, exploring new paradigms, always with deep compassion and putting the patient at the centre. 

Host:

Dr. Jean Smart, PhD

Regulatory affairs & quality officer, Clinical Trials BC

Learn more about Clinical Trials BC