Clerkenwell Health’s story began long before 2021. The founders have been working together for most of the last decade.
Psychedelic science roots
While undertaking his chemistry PhD at Oxford, Clerkenwell Health’s co-founder Dr Henry Fisher began working at the renowned UK psychedelic-focussed NGO, The Beckley Foundation. After completing his PhD, Henry started working at Volteface, the UK’s first drug policy think tank, before founding a regulatory strategy consultancy.
A meeting of minds
Here, Henry met Tom McDonald. Tom had spent 10 years working with some of the biggest names in pharma (at Accenture then medtech giant IQVIA) with a focus on patient-centric care and clinical data. They began developing plans for a mental health startup that would put patients at the heart of everything it did.
Building Clerkenwell Health
Clerkenwell Health founders: Sam Lewis (CFO), Dr Henry Fisher (CSO) and Tom McDonald (CEO)
Launched in early 2021, we’ve worked with exciting developers, and built a team of dedicated experts.
Clinical Team
We built out the team with clinical, psychiatric and psychedelic specialists who are able to support our clients’ trial design and delivery.
Senior Trials Manager - Clare Knight (Cambridge University’s Psychiatry Department)
Clinical Operations Director - Bridie Rowbotham (Pfizer, FutureMeds and Synexus)
Therapy Lead - Sarah Bateup (Compass Pathways and ieso Digital Health)
Psychiatrist & Principal Investigator - Dr Paul Morrison (King’s College London’s Psychiatry Institute)
Clinical Director - Dr Iain Jordan (Oxford University and its NHS Foundations Trust)
Place
The UK saw a shifting policy landscape and some major positive developments for drug developers looking to bring neuro&psychiatric drugs to market.
The UK government has introduced a globally competitive framework for clinical trials, including the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway, streamlined regulatory submission processes, and significant public-private investment to establish trial sites. These sites offer access to one of the richest healthcare datasets in the world.
The UK is also a hub for market-leading psychedelic companies, such as Compass Pathways and Beckley Psytech, where some of the most highly anticipated drug candidates are being developed by British innovators. With its world-renowned researchers, academic institutions, and thriving investment landscape, the UK provides a robust ecosystem for cutting-edge research and development.
Progress
2021 was momentous for Clerkenwell Health, and laid strong foundations for the challenges that lie ahead.
We signed our first two clients (Octarine Bio and Psyence) in the Summer and started delivering groundbreaking work with a focus on psychedelics.
Read more about our progress in Forbes, This is Money, Mental Health Today, and The New Statesman.
2022 saw major milestones proving our concept and solidifying our position as a leading player in the field.
We opened Europe’s first commercial research site dedicated to psychedelic trials, grew our team and signed additional clients.
The Guardian, The Times and Evening Standard, Sifted and more covered our work.
2023 and 2024 were transformative years as we broadened our impact across the mental health and CNS landscape.
Leveraging our expertise in psychedelic research, we have expanded into psychiatry and CNS disorders and are establishing a trial site network to position the UK as the premier destination for these studies. Our patient-centric approach continues to drive access to innovative treatments and deliver value to developers.