What? A Psychedelic Monopoly?

(Photo courtesy of The American Prospect)

Is a looming patent monopoly threatening  progress towards making psychedelics accessible for patient health? The current question concerns psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called magic mushrooms. Below is a link to a recent article in The American Prospect by journalist Luke Goldstein. He explains how a corporate monopoly over a synthetic version of psilocybin could push access and prices beyond the reach of many people who need the medical benefits that have been clearly demonstrated in controlled studies at major universities. This isn’t about recreational use (and doesn’t mean you can’t grow mushrooms in some cities where it is already decriminalized). But if you suffer from certain afflictions, such as depression, a monopolist block of competing providers could create drug treatments with no competitive curb on cost. This is the last thing individuals seeking treatment need, nor does a painfully strained health care system need another drug with a huge price tag (like the recently FDA approved and hugely costly drug for dementia that has shown little benefit). But Luke Goldstein says it much better than I can. Here is the link. Photo courtesy of The American Prospect.

https://prospect.org/power/rollups-emerging-magic-mushroom-monopoly/

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Published on January 17, 2022 13:51
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