Emyria and the charitable organisation Reach Wellness have signed a binding research agreement to assess how well Emyria's MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) program works for first responders living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Reach Wellness will oversee a dedicated support program and has launched a fundraising campaign to meet all treatment and study-related costs, with a target of up to A$1.5 million.
The first participant from an initial cohort of 50 eligible first responders has already been enrolled in the study.
The research is designed to assist broader engagement with health services and payers by building evidence for the safety, effectiveness and scalability of Emyria's MDMA-AT model.
Since July 1, 2023, MDMA has been legally available for prescription to treat PTSD, provided the prescribing doctor holds Authorised Prescriber status from the Therapeutic Goods Administration and can demonstrate the capacity to deliver supportive therapy alongside it.
Reach Wellness founder Rick Green said: "First responders keep our communities safe and functioning both locally and overseas. However, these roles can be highly stressful both physically and mentally as is evident by the high rates of PTSD and other mental health challenges.
"Reach's mission is to fund research and care programs for those who help others first with the generous support of our donors.
"Emyria is one of the most well-prepared research organisations in Australia capable of evaluating MDMA-assisted therapy in real-world settings and we are excited to partner with them on this research program managed within a strictly controlled regulatory environment."
