Awakn Life Sciences aims to bring psychedelics therapy to the UK. Under this company fall three arms; psychedelic research, clinic platform, and practitioner training.
Awakn Life Sciences
“Awakn is a UK and European focused company that is dedicated to integrating psychedelics into mental healthcare. We work across three business lines of clinical research, therapeutic clinics and practioner training.”
The three arms of the company are:
- Psychcro – on-demand and clinical trials
- Psychedelic Clinics – introducing psychedelic-assisted therapy in the UK, under leadership of Ben Sessa
- Psychedelic Training Live (PTL) – psychedelic training for psychiatrists and psychologists, both in-person and online
History
Awakn started in 2020 and announced itself by buying a controlling (51%) stake in Ben Sessa’s private practice (Mandela Therapy Limited).
You can read their July 2020 investor presentation here.
In June 2021, Awakn announced it completed a private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $6.64 million US.
Awakn is listed on the NEO exchange under the ticker AWKN.
Many of the key staff (below) have come from the cannabis industry (US/CA).
In October 2021, Awakn Clinics Bristol (UK) received formal approval from the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) to begin treating patients using ketamine-assisted therapy. Awakn currently operates a clinic in Oslo, Norway and are awaiting approval to begin treating patients from their London location.
Key Staff
- David Nutt – Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board
- Ben Sessa – Chief Medical Officer
- George Scorsis – Chairman, Corporate Board
- Anthony Tennyson – Chief Executive Officer
- Jonathan Held – Chief Financial Officer
- Laurie Higbed – Lead Pychologist
- Dawn DeCunha – Advisor
- Mike Hart – Advisor
- Matthew Johnson – Scientific Advisory Board
Collaborations
Although AWAKN will most probably work with universities for their research, currently they don’t list partners.
News
- ‘The ketamine blew my mind’: can psychedelics cure addiction and depression? (The Guardian, March 2021)
- Ketamine on prescription at first psychedelic psychotherapy clinic in Britain (The Times, February 2021)
- Ketamine to treat depression and addiction at UK’s first medical psychedelic psychotherapy clinic (iNews, January 2021)
- Dr. Michael Mithoefer & Ann Mithoefer from MAPS Join AWAKN’s Scientific Board (press release, September 2020)
- Led By Dr. Ben Sessa, Prof David Nutt, Anthony Tennyson, and George Scorsis, AWAKN Life Sciences Inc. Launches Division to Study Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy (Market Business Watch, September 2020)
- AWAKN Life Sciences Launches Clinical Research Division with Prof. David Nutt & Dr. Ben Sessa Identifying Suitable Studies Across Europe & North America (September 2020)
- Dr. Matthew Johnson Joins AWAKN Life Sciences (September 2020)
- Professor David Nutt Joins AWAKN Life Sciences (July 2020)
- Psychedelic Medical Start-up Awakn Life Sciences Enters the Uk Market With Dr. Ben Sessa (June 2020)
Activities
B2C
Pharmaceutical
Clinic
Topics of Interest
Alcohol Use Disorder
Addiction
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Company News
Awakn Successfully Completes Phase One Of Its Drug Discovery Program (Awakn Life Sciences, 06 April 2022)Awakn Life Sciences Initiates Follow-on Behavioral Study to Focus on Gambling Disorder (Awakn Life Sciences, 02 June 2022)
Awakn Life Sciences Appoints Uk Leader In Addictions Psychiatry, Dr. Arun Dhandayudham, As Chief Medical Officer (Awakn Life Sciences, 17 May 2022)
The Future of Psychedelic Medicine Will Be Drugs You’ve Never Heard Of (Motherboard, 24 January 2022)
This article, by the always excellent Shayla Love, discussed the next generation of novel psychedelics. Starting with the many discoveries of Sasha Shulgin, the article then dives deeper into the wishes and hopes of psychedelic companies.
Awakn Life Sciences Receives Regulatory Approval for Flagship Clinic in London to Begin Delivering Treatments (Biospace, 17 March 2022)
Awakn Life Sciences Announces Closing of Private Placement (Bloomberg, 22 March 2022)
Awakn CEO on Addiction: ‘The Biggest Unmet Medical Need of Modern Times’ (The Dales Report, 24 March 2022)
Awakn Life Sciences Signs MOU with NHS (Devon Partnership NHS Trust) and University of Exeter with a View of Increasing Access to Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy in the UK (, 16 November 2021)