About Clerkenwell Health

Our Story

Clerkenwell Health was founded to improve how brain and mental health research is designed and delivered. We started with a simple insight: clinical trials that are thoughtful, supportive and patient-centred are not only better for participants, but also produce better science - particularly in complex CNS research.

Mental illness doesn’t fit neatly into boxes. It is complex, variable and deeply human. Yet clinical trials in psychiatry and neuroscience have often struggled because they fail to reflect this reality. Compared to other therapeutic areas, CNS trials are more likely to fail - not because the science is weaker, but because study design and delivery too often overlook the lived experience of participants.

We built Clerkenwell Health to address this gap. By moving away from one-size-fits-all trial models, we developed an approach tailored specifically to the demands of CNS and psychedelic research - combining clinical rigour with care-led delivery.

Today, millions of people live with conditions that are not adequately treated, while promising clinical trials continue to face recruitment challenges. People need solutions. Research needs people. We wanted to bring them together - because no one should feel invisible when seeking help. And no research should fail because no one showed up.

A meeting of minds

Our story began long before our official launch in 2021. While completing his PhD in chemistry at Oxford, Henry began working with the UK's leading psychedelic research NGO, The Beckley Foundation. He later joined Volteface, the UK's first drug policy think tank, before founding a regulatory strategy consultancy.

It was here that Henry met Tom who had spent a decade in pharma and medtech at Accenture and IQVIA, working with some of the world's largest life sciences companies to improve patient care and harness clinical data. Both shared the same vision: a mental health research company that sees people, not participants, and proves that compassionate care delivers superior science.

Alongside CFO Sam Lewis and CCO George McBride, they launched Clerkenwell Health in early 2021 with a mission to bridge the gap between breakthrough treatments and the people who desperately need them.

From psychedelics to the full CNS spectrum

Our first projects broke ground in the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted therapy. We opened Europe's first commercial research site dedicated to psychedelic trials, designed specifically to support patients under the effects of psychedelics with dignity and care, earning coverage in The Guardian, The Times, Evening Standard, Sifted, Forbes and more.

While psychedelics remain an important focus, our model is now transforming trials across the full spectrum of CNS and psychiatric conditions, from depression and anxiety to dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Because when you design trials around human dignity, breakthrough science follows.

Why the UK?

The UK has become one of the world's most supportive environments for innovative drug developers. Progressive government policies – from the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway to streamlined regulatory submissions – make it a globally competitive location for clinical trials. With world-leading academic institutions, one of the richest healthcare datasets globally, and a growing ecosystem of pioneering drug developers, the UK is uniquely positioned for breakthroughs in CNS and mental health research.

Looking Ahead

The next stage of our journey is bold: building a 5-site national clinical trial network across the UK.

Some of these sites will be integrated directly into NHS infrastructure – a first-of-its-kind model designed to overcome systemic challenges in patient recruitment, site performance, and trial delivery. By creating this network, we aim to make the UK the most attractive location in the world for CNS and psychiatric clinical research, where science and compassion work in harmony to create groundbreaking outcomes.

The next stage of our journey is bold: building a 5-site national clinical trial network across the UK.

Copyright © 2025 Clerkenwell Clinics Limited. All rights reserved. Clerkenwell Health is a company registered England and Wales Company No.12568155. Our clinics hold Schedule 1-4 licences from the Home Office.