The magic of mushrooms – an interview with Barney Neal I had the pleasure of speaking to Barney Neal, the chief communication officer at Albert Labs, a company working to quickly get psylocibin licensed to treat mental health conditions. We spoke about psychedelics and how they might be a treatment one day on the NHS.
What are you working on at the moment? I have several roles. My first is working at Albert Labs, a biopharmaceutical company that conducts clinical research on psylocibin. We are looking to support cancer patients with their mental distress. I’m also the cofounder of the Psychedelic Medicine Association. This is a platform that aims to educate the front line of the health service on psychedelics. I used to work in venture capital, and I am an engineer by trade.
Why is your company called Albert Labs? It’s named after the notable swiss chemist Albert Hoffman. He first synthesised psilocybin from mushrooms. After he synthesised psylocibin, he ingested it. He then saw potential for the use of it in psychiatric disorders.
When was psylocibin first synthesised? 1952. We’ve had 70 years of knowing about these drugs but given the stigma and politics around them we are only just getting to legalising them now.
How does the treatment work? There are 3 stages. Pre-therapy, where you prepare the patients for what a psychedelic experience might be like, and the overwhelming feelings that come with the treatment. Then there is a single dosing day. The patient will be treated in a very cosy setting with nice lighting, music and soft furnishings. They will be dosed with 25mg of psylocibin. 30-40 minutes later they will be in a full-blown psychedelic experience. During this time, they will be accompanied by a psychotherapist. They will monitor the patients, making sure they are comfortable. They will ‘hold the space’ to allow the patients to heal themselves. Third, there is post integration, where patients are helped to integrate new ways of thinking back into their lives.
Why is Albert Labs running trials on cancer patients? Cancer patients can be those who struggle the most in society. It’s impossible to imagine the anxiety and mental distress that someone facing cancer endures. We want to help them with their unmet needs.n the UK alone there's about 1.2 million cancer patients who have severe
23
