By reMind Staff —

Investment firm Morgan Stanley has released an upbeat analysis of the emerging marketplace for psychedelic medicines and therapies.

The report, written by the firm’s Counterpoint Global team of analysts, says the impact of breakthrough psychedelic drugs could far exceed current expectations: “Beyond mental illness and pain-related diseases, psychedelics have the potential to treat any disease where new neural pathways might improve function.” The four-page report was first shared by Psychedelic Alpha.

Although the authors list several “roadblocks to adoption,” they cite specific reasons for optimism about the potential growth of the psychedelics industry. Specifically:

• The number of mood disorders and suicide-related events has increased significantly in the last decade, exacerbated by the stress of modern life and the isolation brought on by COVID. However, there have been no truly new drugs for depression since the 1980s when Prozac and other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) came to market.

• Psychedelics could fundamentally change how mental health disorders are treated. Instead of aiming to mask or mute symptoms with chronic drug intake, like SSRIs, psychedelic-assisted therapy can change a patient’s basic outlook on life over the course of one to a handful of sessions.

• Beyond mental illness, psychedelics could offer a physiologically safe and non-addictive alternative treatment for multiple indications including pain-related conditions.

Read the full report.