FDA/IRB Approved
–an unprecedented study in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy research.
Goal: To humanize and augment the provision of care in Hospice and Palliative Care settings for those who are aware of impending death through participation in an intensive exploration of consciousness and awareness of situation and options for remaining life through the experience of ketamine assisted psychotherapy.
- We are a 5-site study with centers across the US.
- We are providing an intensive 4–6-week program for 120 subjects who are aware they have a limited lifespan of one year or less to live.
- With that awareness, we are assisting our subjects in the exploration of mind, heart, spirit and connection for time remaining.
- Subjects are randomized into two groups: ketamine recipients and naturalized controls, who on completion have the option for a KAP session.
- Two KAP sessions using intra-muscular ketamine will be provided within a format emphasizing integration of these experiences, following our established experience with KAP.
- Subjects meet inclusion/exclusion criteria with assessment for the presence of adequate conscious mind to participate and benefit from the program.
- All practitioners in our program are experientially and didactically trained in KAP
- Subjects will receive intra-muscular injections of ketamine in a range of 25-100mg, with first sessions being at the lower end. Remarkably, in our process with the FDA, we were able to move the total dose from their limit of 60mg to a new level of 100mg. This will make this protocol and future protocols more capable of reaching states of full ego dissolution.
- We have developed a new and unique assessment tool—the ELI or End of Life Inventory.
- Subject recruitment is beginning now, and we anticipate a year to year and a half to complete the study and move to publication.
- Our study moves KAP into the realms of prior psychedelic experience with Life Threatening illnesses as per LSD, psilocybin and our 2019 published MAPS MDMA study.
- Our intention is to have our work serve as a model for Palliative Care and Hospices enabling an involved and deeply experiential connection with those who have consciousness and the capacity to make conscious choices and self-reflection as they face an imminent death. This collaboration between practitioners and their patients has been sadly lacking for those facing death–an opportunity to explore and know oneself, one’s wishes and feelings in communication with family and caregivers.
- We work without our judgement as to what is the path, but rather the personal exploration of who one is, has been ,and how one wishes to leave their lives.
We would be pleased to have your support and interest and to speak with you about our project. There is no cost to participants. We are now in a fund-raising phase for this research program conducted through our non-profit Ketamine Research Foundation. Please consider donating.
Thanks for your interest and consideration.
—Phil Wolfson MD CEO of KRF
