Benzinga | Oct 13, 2021 01:38PM EDT

EXCLUSIVE: Pasithea Therapeutics Launches First Ketamine Clinic In The UK

Pasithea Therapeutics Corp. (NASDAQ:KTTA), a company in the psychedelics space, will launch its first UK-based ketamine infusion clinic.

The company went public with a $24 million IPO in the Nasdaq last month and is focused on research and discovery of new and effective treatments for psychiatric and neurological disorders.

What To Know For the launch of its first U.K. clinic, Pasithea's wholly-owned subsidiary, Pasithea Clinics, has partnered with ZEN Healthcare to offer intravenous ketamine therapy to patients suffering from treatment-resistant mental health disorders.

The treatment will initially be offered in Knightsbridge, London, and is set to launch in October.

"We believe we can become the best-in-class provider of IV ketamine treatments," said Dr. Yassine Bendiabdallah, managing director of Pasithea Clinics in the UK.

Why It's Important: Ketamine, an FDA-approved anesthetic, has become widely used in an off-label capacity for the rapid treatment of depression symptoms. As scientists debate whether the drug fits the category of a psychedelic substance, a number of for-profit actors are offering it as an alternative mental health treatment, showcasing very positive results.

The company is also deploying a ketamine strategy in the U.S., where it has partnered with The IV Doc, Inc., to provide in-home IV ketamine infusions.

"Evidence from dozens of trials over the past two decades consistently supports the efficacy of ketamine in improving symptoms in some mental health disorders. We are thrilled to be able to provide this new treatment approach in the UK for those patients who are deemed eligible to receive it," said Dr. Tiago Reis Marques, CEO of Pasithea Therapeutics.

"We look forward to growing our specialty clinics network while we simultaneously progress with our drug development program to move the needle forward for better mental health care," Marques concluded.

Photo: Herbert II Timtim from Pixabay.