Dr Henry Fisher is the Chief Scientific Officer and Co-founder of Clerkenwell Health, a CRO and clinical research site network specialising in psychiatry and CNS research, with a core focus on clinical trials with psychedelics. He leads on trial design, regulator engagement, clinical development advisory services and controlled drug licensing compliance. He holds a DPhil from Oxford in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Formerly, he has worked for Volteface drug policy think tank, The Beckley Foundation and The Loop. Since then Henry has founded three companies in the psychedelics and cannabis sectors and advised clients on R&D strategies, IP generation and research operations.
Colloquium Presentation: 03 October 2025 (Sir Henry Wellcome Building, G17 3.30-5pm)
From Clinical Trials to Clinical Practice: Mapping the Next Steps for Psychedelic Research and Development
Abstract
Psychedelic research is at a critical inflection point, with multiple Phase II and III trials demonstrating clinically meaningful effects of these treatments across a range psychiatric disorders, and several more Phase III trials underway or planned in the near future. As these interventions near regulatory review by the FDA and MHRA, the field must address the translation of highly controlled trial protocols into scalable, evidence-based clinical practice. A major priority is clarifying the many variables in the psychotherapeutic component of psychedelic-assisted therapy, which likely key drivers of treatment outcomes. Meanwhile, a robust regulatory framework has yet to be established to ensure therapist credentialing, fidelity monitoring, and patient safety while promoting equitable access. Additionally, moves to understand the application and any necessary adaptions of these interventions to real-world populations is vital: from understanding the impact of menstrual cycles on treatment scheduling, through to expansion into more complex treatment populations including dual diagnosis populations, vulnerable adults, adolescents and severe presentations requiring prolonged in-patient care. This talk will discuss some of the initiatives and research collaborations Clerkenwell Heath is undertaking to address this research gap, discuss the many areas where more needs to be done before the full potential of these interventions can be realised, and ask where this research might come from.