Wesana Health is a life sciences company based in Chicago whose mission is “to help people transcend barriers in mental health and performance by pioneering drug development, clinical therapy, and remote patient monitoring solutions for psychedelic medicine.” It is focused on treating Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and its sequelae, such as anxiety, migraine, and depression.
The company was founded in 2020 by former professional hockey player Daniel Carcillo, who dedicated his life’s work to addressing brain and mental health after personal experience with head trauma from his time in the NHL. Carcillo serves as Wesana’s CEO. Wesana’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Abid Nazeer is a psychiatrist with expertise in ketamine therapy. Its Scientific Advisory Board members includes psychedelic scholar and author James Fadiman as well as psychedelic researcher and trauma expert Dr. Rachel Yehuda.
Wesana’s mission is supported by partnerships with a number of academic and research institutions. The company funded the summer 2021 launch of BrainStorm Lab, a multi-University neurological research and product development collaboration housed at the University of South Carolina. Areas of investigation include the use of psilocybin for post-concussion syndrome.
Wesana has filed patent applications pertaining to protocols for psilocybin-based treatment of TBI and associated conditions.
The company is also supporting MAPS’ research into MDMA’s potential to treat PTSD.
In a Forbes article by contributor Amanda Siebert, Carcillo stated, “There is a lot of crossover in the downstream symptoms that can arise with someone with PTSD, [and someone with TBI].” MAPS Public Benefit Corporation CEO Amy Emerson added, “heightened susceptibility to depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, or suicide; limited effective treatments for those with chronic or severe diagnoses; and front-line medication therapies which may ameliorate symptoms but do not address the underlying cause.”
Wesana’s leading pharmaceutical candidate, called SANA-013, is a combination drug that includes cannabidiol and psilocybin. SANA-013 is designed to improve neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, and to reduce inflammation. The drug is awaiting approval for IND status and Phase I clinical trials are planned for late 2022.
In July 2021, Wesana acquired Psytech (AKA Psychedelitec Inc.), procuring its network of ketamine therapy clinics and medical-grade SaaS platform. The clinics utilize this proprietary software platform, which integrates data from patients, providers, clinics and researchers to monitor treatment efficacy.