Published on
November 4, 2020

Field Trip Health Releases Renderings of Jamaica Facility

Field Trip Health has released renderings of their Jamaica facility. Field Trip Natural Products Limited (Field Trip's Jamaican subsidiary) will construct, fund and operate a state-of-the-art research and cultivation facility on UWI's Mona campus. In consideration, UWI will lease to Field Trip the land to build the Facility as well as make available leading biology, mycology and chemistry researchers to assist Field Trip's research and cultivation efforts.

The focus of the Facility will be broad-ranging, from genetics, breeding and cultivation work on the 180+ plus species of psilocybin-producing mushrooms, to developing methods and analysis for extractions and formulations, to identification of novel molecules for drug development purposes.

"Field Trip's mission is to advance the science and understanding of psychedelic compounds, and to develop their therapeutic and wellness applications, through an integrated business model," said Mujeeb Jafferi, Field Trip's President. "Although psilocybin, as a molecule, has been well-studied, there is great opportunity to create impact by developing a better understanding of the fungi that produce psilocybin and other tryptamines.  This is why we are so pleased to be partnering with UWI, a leading global academic institution, in building this facility in Jamaica."

Research at the Facility will be led by Rupika Delgoda, Professor of Biochemical Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy and Director of the Natural Products Institute at UWI, who holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University (UK) in Pharmacology.

"Studies have already identified psilocybin's unique ability, when used in conjunction with psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety and potentially a number of other mental health conditions. The Facility will allow us produce well-characterized extracts to help expand on that research and will focus on, among other things, finding novel therapies and applications of psilocybin-producing mushrooms where existing pharmacological options are failing," said Professor Delgoda.