Stanley Cup Champion Discusses Healing Traumatic Brain Injury with Psychedelics | Wesana Health

In this video, from The Psychedelic Investor, Daniel Carcillo – CEO of Wesana – describes where the company stands at the start of 2022.

Daniel makes note that there currently is no pharmaceutical treatment for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and that more than 5 million Americans visit an emergency room for TBI, each year.

“The reason there isn’t an approved pharmaceutical for TBI is that the FDA hasn’t validated an animal model specifically for TBI, so [Wesana] is going after symptoms derived from physical trauma… Our first indication is TBI-related major depressive disorder [MDD].”

Daniel recounts his personal experience with TBI and his subsequent recovery journey.

What sets Wesana apart, according to Daniel, is that “this will be an at-home adjunct therapy that can live on your counter, as far as the microdose, that I have been taking for the last three years.”

The main rationale for the continued microdoses is to prevent the waning effect that happens over time (as seen in their animal study, which Daniel also compares to similar results at Compass and a large study at Imperial College). This is then also combined with CBD.

Together with Charles River (CRO), they have tested this in a mice study that had immobility as the main outcome measure.

Interestingly, CBD was patented by the US government in 2003, in relation to preventing neuronal death in relation to Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and dementia (see more here). Daniel posits that neuronal death (death of brain cells) also happens in depression and TBI.

In relation to the US government (and military), Wesana is planning to file for some funding to see how to prevent (severe) TBI. Here he makes the analogy to a glass that you know you will drop, better to break it into five pieces (which are easy to put back together), than to have it break into a thousand pieces.

The discussion then moves to the (controversial) partnership with Mike Tyson. Daniel expresses gratitude for being able to reach Tyson’s audience and the vulnerable way that he is able to speak about TBI.

Finally, next to treatment, there are many lifestyle factors that influence someone’s recovery (and every else too). James and Daniel agree that these shouldn’t be forgotten.