Ehave, Inc. announced its MetaHealthU mobile application platform will focus on determining the cause and finding a possible cure for hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Ehave has pioneered HPPD research efforts by launching a series of studies through its partnership with the University of Melbourne to gather data and bio-markers to target the condition. HPPD, (HPPD) or “flashbacks” is the only recognized long-term complication of hallucinogen use.

It can cause a person to keep reliving the visual element of an experience caused by hallucinogenic drugs. As psychedelics become more widely accepted, the data and biomarkers from Ehave's MetaHealthU will enhance research into HPPD, which will assist medical and mental health professionals diagnose if an individual is genetically predisposed to suffer from the condition. MetaHealthU is a mobile application platform that empowers individuals to take complete control of their health and their healthcare data.

One component of MetaHealthU is its digital wallet connectivity with blockchain, which enables users to bundle and share their health records in a secure and seamless way. Ehave chose blockchain for its MetaHealthU platform since it increases trust, security, transparency, and the traceability of data shared across a business network — and delivers cost savings with new efficiencies. Ehave has partnered with BurstIQ, the leading provider of blockchain-based data solutions for the healthcare industry, to use its privacy-protecting technology to protect the personal information of MetaHealthU users.

With MetaHealthU, users can securely track their health data from wearables, Electronic Health Records Systems (EHRs), Doctors and Medical Labs. It includes a “digital file cabinet” for medical records, which is ideal for research into HPPD. Users can log into their patient portals on various healthcare systems and medical labs and download their medical records in the digital file cabinet, which empowers individuals to take complete control of their health and their healthcare data.

As Ehave progresses in its partnership with the University of Melbourne, the Company plans to create bio lines and a testing revenue model, as well as screening products based on MetaHealthU that are capable of indicating HPPD. Currently, researchers at the University of Melbourne have completed the necessary documents required for university ethics approval for online study of HPPD. The pilot study will begin sometime late in the second quarter, or the beginning of the third quarter.

The researchers have also submitted a full ethics application, and are awaiting a decision on minimal risk accreditation. They have received preliminary approval for the pilot project to be considered “low or negligible risk,” and received ethics board review feedback on the submission seeking clarification on the role of funders regarding data, as well as minor clarifications on surveys/tasks being used. Individuals with HPPD have recurring visual disturbances that only recall the part of the psychedelic experience that involved visions, which can cause anxiety and affect a person's vision.

HPPD is most commonly caused by LSD and Mushrooms, but also can be caused by MDMA, Cannabis, and even SSRIs. As many as 5% of LSD users report some version of HPPD and serious cases could be as frequent as 1 in every 100 users of psychedelics. The market for an HPPD cure extends far beyond simple psychedelics.