Revolutionizing Mental Health with Emyria's (ASX:EMD) Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies: A Gateway to Healing with Dr. Michael Winlo

Unlock the transformative power of the mind with Dr. Michael Winlo, MD of Emyria Limited, as he shares the latest breakthroughs in psychedelic-assisted therapies for mental health. In an era where the burden of mental illness weighs heavily across the globe, Emeria's novel approach is a beacon of hope for those with PTSD and other severe conditions. Our conversation with Dr. Winlo not only sheds light on the potential of MDMA-assisted therapy to revolutionize treatment but also reveals how Emyria's leading-edge clinical facilities and drug discovery programs are shaping the future of mental healthcare.

With the stigma surrounding mental health slowly dissipating, Emyria's work is crucial, and Dr. Winlo's insights are more relevant than ever. He explains the scientific intricacies behind pairing MDMA with psychotherapy, emphasizing the exceptional outcomes from clinical trials and the subsequent green light from regulatory bodies like the TGA in Australia. The therapy's capacity to diminish fear and anxiety, fostering a conducive environment for healing, could very well signify a seismic shift in how we address mental health disorders, and this episode is your exclusive look into this promising horizon. Join us for a profound discussion that challenges the conventions of therapy and offers new hope to individuals who have long struggled with traditional treatments.

Transcript

Andrew Musgrave: 0:02

Hello and welcome to another episode of ASX Briefs, where we delve cutting-edge the biotechnology and healthcare innovation. I'm your host, Andrew Musgrave, and today we have the pleasure of speaking with Dr Michael Winlo, CEO of Emyria Limited, a clinical stage biotech company that has been making headlines with its groundbreaking work in psychedelic-assisted therapies and MDMA drug discovery programs. Thanks for joining us today, Michael, and welcome to ASX Briefs.

Michael Winlo: 0:30

Thanks for having me, Andrew. Pleasure to be here.

Andrew Musgrave: 0:32

Okay, to kick things off, can you just give the listeners a brief overview of who Emyria is?

Michael Winlo: 0:37

Yeah, so Emyria is a public company. We're tackling a global challenge, which is the rising incidence of major mental health disorders, and we do that through a pretty unique combination. We have two halves to our business. On one half, we own and operate state-of-the-art clinical facilities where we provide new treatments and evaluate new treatments for major mental health diseases. We provide treatments like MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, for example, treatments like MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, for example. On the other half of our business, we take those data and revenues from the clinical services, and we drive an innovative pipeline agenda which is involved in the development and discovery of new drug treatments, as well as improving those care models that we operate in our clinics.

Andrew Musgrave: 1:18

Now, recently, Emyria has featured prominently in the media, particularly regarding your research on PTSD treatments.

Michael Winlo: 1:29

Can you discuss the impact this coverage has had on the company and the public's understanding of your work.

Michael Winlo: 1:32

Yeah well, we're recording this, April 17, and people have been following the news.

Michael Winlo: 1:35

We've seen, obviously, some horrifying events over in Sydney, and I think mental health and trauma is on top of everyone's minds, and so we know we're in an area of great unmet. Need we know, with the recent media coverage has clarified for you know, for the public that you know PTSD affects nearly a million Australians. A large number of those patients you know won't respond to current treatments and we desperately need new options for those patients, particularly those who are responding to standard care. And so what's got people interested is the brand new world of MDMA-assisted therapy, which is a co-administration of a potent medication alongside supportive therapy, and that's an area of treatment that we specialize in, both in the research and the provision of that treatment. And the media coverage has really taken a big interest because we're one of only very few centres nationally, which means one of only very few services globally that can legally provide these treatments to patients in need. And I think that's got everyone's attention because this represents a new paradigm of mental health treatment and we're really privileged to be a part of it.

Andrew Musgrave: 2:40

And I think, and just on that, the MDMA-assisted therapy. Can you just talk through the scientific basis behind it?

Michael Winlo: 2:47

Yeah, absolutely so. People may know of MDMA as ecstasy, as a street drug. Now it should be clear that the MDMA we use is a medical-grade version, so it's highly purified and meets pharmaceutical standards. But what this treatment is is really a 12 to 16-week program of intensive psychotherapy. But what this treatment is is really a 12 to 16 week program of intensive psychotherapy where on three occasions, roughly a month apart, we co-administer MDMA with the patient, and what this does is it creates an intensive experience for the patient.

Michael Winlo: 3:16

MDMA has these unique qualities in that it reduces fear and anxiety, it allows people to build trust and they can approach challenging memories in the case of PTSD, say, very difficult incidences of their past in a much more relaxed and objective way, and what that allows is for the psychotherapy to land and become more effective. And so we've based our model based off some really compelling research that's been completed in the United States. Two phase three trials have now finished, and we know that there are groups in America looking for FDA approval for this treatment. We expect to have a readout of that by the end of the year, and the data is so compelling it's actually persuaded our own TGA in Australia to create legal access pathways for this treatment. So one thing it requires a really careful coordination of therapists and specialists, dedicated facilities. One has to have access to the medication and understand how to deliver complex care models.

Michael Winlo: 4:14

But we have been really encouraged by the early results we're seeing and what we hope to show is that we can meet some of the great clinical outcomes that have been shown overseas and therefore make a huge positive impact for patients struggling with PTSD. And just at one final point, some of the great clinical outcomes that have been shown overseas and therefore make a huge positive impact for patients struggling with PTSD. And just at one final point, some of the data we're seeing is up to 70% of patients no longer meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD after three months of treatment, which is a remarkable outcome. And if we get anywhere close to that in the real world, we'll have a really incredible promising treatment hopefully available to patients who need it.

Andrew Musgrave: 4:49

Okay then, and regarding the collaboration with Reach Wellness, can you just elaborate on the goals of this partnership and how it aims to benefit the first responders?

Michael Winlo: 4:58

Yeah, Reach Wellness is a special charity. They're dedicated to the support and wellbeing of first responders. They have tax deductible gift recipient status. They're dedicated to the support and well-being of first responders. They have tax deductible gift recipient status. They're able to fund global services and important medical research, and they've selected Emyria to provide MDMA-assisted therapy as part of a study program for first responders. So, first responders who qualify for MDMA-assisted therapy according to the TGA guidelines can apply for subsidised funding to get access to this treatment. This new treatment does not yet have third-party payer coverage, although I expect that to come sometime this year, so in the meantime, this REACH Wellness Partnership is a really important initiative to help provide access to first responders who may benefit from this treatment.

Andrew Musgrave: 5:42

Now there's obviously plenty going on with the company, and these are really important areas. Looking to the future, can you give us an outline of what Emiria may look like in the next six to 12 months?

Michael Winlo: 5:53

Yeah, absolutely Well. We just opened up a brand new dedicated facility for the delivery and evaluation of psychedelic assisted treatments called the MPAC Centre here in Perth. We believe this will be a flagship model for how these treatments can be delivered in a commercially viable way and, importantly, in a scalable way, and we look to open up multiple sites around the country as the demand for these services grow. So that's really important. And then, taking all of those clinical service revenues and, importantly, the data we gather to drive and support our innovation pipeline of new drug treatments and care therapies as well, so a network of clinical services providing a wide range of really important treatments for major mental health disorders, plus a long-term pipeline of IP-backed drug development as well. So, yeah, really exciting work. It's actually very privileged and motivating to be part of this work.

Andrew Musgrave: 6:42

Yeah, well, you know that's a really good update on where the company's at Obviously plenty of need for these sort of services. So thanks for coming on the show today, michael, and we look forward for the next update from Emiria in the coming months.

Michael Winlo: 6:55

I appreciate your time, andrew, and I would agree with you. Yeah, thank you so much, okay, thank you.

Andrew Musgrave: 7:01

That concludes this episode of ASX Briefs. Don't forget to subscribe and we look forward to catching up on our next episode.