
News & Updates
January 2025

Celebrating Excellence in Mental Health Research and Advocacy: The 2024 STARR Awards
The 2024 STARR Awards Celebration, held virtually on December 19th, brought together leaders dedicated to improving the lives of individuals living with serious mental illness and celebrated the remarkable progress made in mental health research, advocacy, and the collective efforts driving hope and change for those affected by mental illness. Hosted by The STARR Coalition, the event honored exceptional contributions from individuals and organizations involved in mental health clinical research, providing hope where there is often very little and reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness.
This year’s winners have had a profound impact on advancing care, advocacy, and understanding around serious mental illnesses:
- Advocate of the Year Award: The Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance (S&PAA)
- Site of the Year Award: Pillar Clinical Research
- Sponsor of the Year Award: Teva Pharmaceuticals
- Lew Yagodnik Award: Greg Hansch, Executive Director of NAMI Texas
Each award winner will be highlighted in upcoming editions of the STARR’s newsletter. These spotlights will provide an opportunity to share their stories, amplify their impact, and inspire the broader community to continue working toward a brighter future in mental health research and advocacy.
For now, congratulations to all the winners for their incredible achievements! 🏆💚
News from the Certified Sites
This holiday season, CNS Healthcare was proud to participate in the USPS Operation Santa program, spreading joy and fulfilling holiday wishes for children and families in need. Operation Santa, run by the United States Postal Service, allows individuals and organizations to “adopt” letters to Santa, providing gifts to those who might otherwise go without.
The CNS Healthcare team came together to purchase toys and gifts, filling several children’s wish lists and brightening the holidays for families. Their generosity and holiday spirit reflect the company’s commitment to making a positive impact beyond their work in clinical research. 💚
The Pillar Clinical Research‘s 2024 clothing drive was a massive success! Each year, the Richardson, TX site conducts a clothing drive and ended 2024 by donating a total of 860 items to the Austin Street Center Homeless Shelter! In all, the following items were donated:
• 344 coats
• 170 blankets
• 310 sweaters
• 36 pairs of shoes
Chase Pearson, Director of Recruitment, spearheads this cause annually. It took Chase four trips to deliver the items from the site to the agency. That’s Chase with Robert Monroe, Director of Security, to his right and Yolanda Williams, Senior Director of Shelter Services, to his left.
Way to go, Chase and team!
Segal Trials’ success is built on the dedication, passion, and expertise of its fantastic staff. To express their gratitude, the organization treated the team to a sweet surprise—a small gesture to say thank you for all their hard work and commitment. The photos capture the teamwork, positivity, and sense of community that define Segal Trials. Moments like these, where the team comes together to enjoy something as simple as cookies, highlight what makes this organization – and each team member – truly special.
CenExel CIT completely remodeled and updated their clinical trials facility! The new state-of-the-art hub is designed to support both inpatient and outpatient studies, ensuring the highest standards of patient care and research excellence. Equipped with modern laboratories, private patient rooms, and advanced monitoring systems, the facility creates an optimal environment for conducting diverse studies. Outpatient areas provide comfortable lounges and efficient check-in processes to streamline visits, while inpatient units offer 24/7 care in a controlled setting. The redesign prioritizes accessibility, patient comfort, and operational efficiency, fostering collaboration between researchers, staff, and participants to advance cutting-edge medical innovations and improve health outcomes.
Congratulations to CenExel HRI for being named Best Medical Research Site by Metro Philly for the fourth consecutive year! This well-deserved recognition highlights the team’s exceptional dedication and expertise in advancing clinical research and delivering outstanding care.
CenExel HRI’s commitment to excellence has a profound impact on patients’ lives and the progress of medical science. Their hard work continues to set a high standard for research, making a lasting difference in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania communities and beyond.

Call to Sites: Please invite your patients with schizophrenia and their caregivers to participate in a 20–25 minute online survey to share their experiences and needs. Participants can opt to receive a $30 Amazon gift card for completing the survey.
All responses will be analyzed anonymously and will not be linked to personal information in any way. The goal of this study is to develop educational resources and other information for individuals affected by schizophrenia.
Click HERE for more information or HERE to check out the survey.
Advocating for Suicide Prevention During National Mentoring Month
As we celebrate National Mentoring Month this January, we are reminded of the power of guidance and connection in saving lives. Mentorship can provide a vital lifeline to those struggling with mental health challenges by fostering trust, support, and hope.
Volunteer advocates with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) are demonstrating the transformative impact of mentorship in public policy. By collaborating with AFSP’s public policy office in Washington, D.C., these advocates work tirelessly to push for state and federal suicide prevention policies that save lives. Their efforts are a powerful example of how individuals can mentor their communities through advocacy and action.
By supporting these initiatives, you can help create a future where mentorship and legislation work hand in hand to reduce the stigma of mental illness and prevent suicide. To learn more or get involved, visit https://afsp.org/advocate-for-suicide-prevention/ or email advocacy@afsp.org and join the movement to make a difference. 💚

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 introduced significant reforms impacting the pharmaceutical industry, notably empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices directly. With the election of President-elect Donald Trump, there is potential for substantial changes to this legislation, particularly concerning its effects on pharmaceutical companies.
Potential Changes Under the New Administration President-elect Trump’s administration has signaled intentions to modify or repeal certain aspects of the IRA. A key proposal under consideration is making Medicare Advantage the default option for enrollees, which would necessitate legislative changes. Additionally, there are discussions about altering payment methods for Medicare Advantage and repealing the IRA, potentially affecting drug pricing and Medicare’s coverage gap. Implications for the Pharmaceutical Industry 1. Drug Pricing and Medicare Negotiations: The IRA granted Medicare the authority to negotiate prices for select high-cost drugs, aiming to reduce expenditures. The new administration’s potential repeal of the IRA could eliminate this negotiation power, possibly leading to higher drug prices and increased revenues for pharmaceutical companies. 2. Regulatory Environment: The appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicates a shift towards challenging existing pharmaceutical industry practices. Kennedy has expressed intentions to address issues such as the Prescription Drug User Fee Act’s (PDUFA) influence on the FDA and direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. Reforming PDUFA could impact the FDA’s budget and drug approval processes, potentially affecting the speed and cost of bringing new drugs to market. |
3. Market Dynamics and Competition: The administration’s stance on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) could alter the pharmaceutical supply chain. President-elect Trump has criticized PBMs for contributing to high drug prices and has suggested eliminating their role. This change could disrupt existing pricing and distribution models, affecting how pharmaceutical companies negotiate prices and distribute their products. Conclusion The incoming administration’s proposed changes to the Inflation Reduction Act and related healthcare policies suggest a potential shift towards a more industry-friendly environment for pharmaceutical companies. While the repeal of certain provisions may lead to increased revenues, the introduction of new regulatory challenges and market dynamics could create complexities that the industry will need to navigate carefully. References: Barron’s: Insurer Stocks Tumble. Trump Echoes Drug Industry Attacks on PBMs. (12/16/24) Investopedia: What Project 2025’s Potential Medicare Changes Mean for You (12/11/24) Wired: RFK Plans to Take on Big Pharma. It’s Easier Said Than Done (12/12/24) |


Boehringer Ingelheim’s opnMe wins the Best Practice Award at the 2024 World Open Innovation Conference (WOIC). Boehringer Ingelheim’s open innovation portal opnMe has won the 2024 Best Practice Award at the recent 11th Annual World Open Innovation Conference (WOIC) at the University of California in Berkeley. opnMe.com, the open science portal of Boehringer Ingelheim, fosters science and collaboration initiatives in areas of high unmet medical need. BI’s molecules are provided to the scientific community either free of charge as “Molecules to Order” or applied for via scientific research submissions as “Molecules for Collaboration”.
Capsida Biotherapeutics announced that AbbVie has exercised its option for the first neurodegeneration program in their ongoing partnership. Capsida will receive a $40 million license payment and is eligible for additional milestones and royalties. The opt-in decision was based on results from primate studies using Capsida’s engineered adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids to deliver AbbVie’s novel therapeutic cargo intravenously (IV). Broad neuronal expression was achieved while simultaneously de-targeting the liver and dorsal root ganglia. AbbVie will be responsible for advancing the program into IND-enabling studies and performing clinical trials.
New research links reduced synaptic density,early psychosis, and cannabis use, offering insights into negative symptoms and potential interventions. Romina Mizrahi, MD, PhD, and M. Belen Blasco, MD, presented their findings on synaptic density reductions in the early stages of psychosis and their connection to clinical high-risk (CHR) states. They also explored the effects of cannabis use on synaptic density, psychotic symptoms, and grey matter microstructures.
Post-hoc analysis of the ELEKT-D trial of ketamine and ECT for patients with treatment-resistant depression distinguishes between responders to the respective interventions. Ketamine outperformed ECT in outpatients and those with less severe symptoms, while ECT initially benefited inpatients with severe symptoms. Higher BMI was associated with better ketamine response, potentially due to inflammation-related factors.
American Psychological Association’s latest annual provider survey highlights that a significant number of psychologists do not accept health insurance, with insufficient reimbursement rates cited as a top barrier to participating in insurance plans. This is a substantial barrier for individuals seeking mental health care. Access to care is a key to decriminalizing mental illness.
IV psilocin benzoate for major depressive disorder: new Phase 2a results for ELE-101 demonstrated rapid, lasting antidepressant effects in MDD patients, with significant MADRS score reductions and remission in most participants. New positive topline results from an open-label phase 2a study of IV psilocin benzoate in patients with major depressive disorder showed that the treatment delivers rapid, lasting antidepressant effects for up to 3 months following a single dose.
Could mandating mental health care help the most vulnerable? This 50-minute NPR On-Point episode discusses the failures of the current mental health care system and the gaps faced. We hear the devastating consequences of leaving SMI untreated. Includes an interview with former New York City police officer, now researcher, who says that when it comes to the severely mentally ill, society has made a mistake prioritizing personal liberty over compassionate care and argues that sometimes the most humane mental health care is forced treatment.
And the counterpoint: ‘The Horror of Unjust Psychiatric Hospitalization’ – A recent New York Times “hard hitting expose” accused Acadia Healthcare of hospitalizing psychiatric patients inappropriately. What does this expose about psychiatric hospitalization?
We had to include Lauren Stockwell’s Linkedin post on the 50 novel drugs approved in 2024 (see excellent graphic below): Within a single year, our industry created an impact that could help millions well beyond our years. Clinical research sites around the world worked tirelessly in 2024 to ensure that patients had more options. Thank you, to the clinical research professionals everywhere- to the ones who enrolled countless participants, to the ones who showed up early and stayed late to accommodate schedules, to the ones who adapted and pivoted beyond their job descriptions all to serve the future of medicine. We honor you, your hard work, and your success in 2024! Here’s to even more medical advances in 2025!
Intra-Cellular Therapies submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the FDA for CAPLYTA (lumateperone) for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) in adults, as adjunctive therapy to antidepressants. CAPLYTA is an atypical antipsychotic approved in adults for the treatment of schizophrenia and the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I or II disorder (bipolar depression) as monotherapy and as adjunctive therapy with lithium or valproate. While the mechanism of action of CAPLYTA is unknown, the efficacy of CAPLYTA could be mediated through a combination of antagonist activity at central serotonin 5-HT2A receptors and postsynaptic antagonist activity at central dopamine D2 receptors.
Reviva Pharmaceuticals announced positive preliminary topline data for the open-label extension portion of its ongoing Phase 3 RECOVER study evaluating the long-term safety and tolerability of brilaroxazine in patients with schizophrenia. Administration of brilaroxazine once daily led to robust broad-spectrum efficacy that was sustained over 1 year. Scott Bartley, MD, CMO for Pillar Clinical Research and investigator in the RECOVER trials added, “No current therapy addresses all needs of patients with schizophrenia. The broad-spectrum improvements in all major symptom domains, including negative symptoms, along with the low treatment discontinuation rates with long-term use of brilaroxazine are encouraging and support the potential of brilaroxazine to reduce the current burden on people affected by this debilitating and life-long mental illness.”
Alto Neuroscience Presents Key Data, Study Findings on ALTO-300, a 5-HT2C antagonist, is in phase 2b for MDD, using EEG signatures for patient selection and efficacy testing. Check out this video from Amit Etkin, MD, PhD, on selecting patients based on an electroencephalographic (EEG) signature, along with ALTO’s other ongoing clinical-stage programs, which include ALTO-101 (targets cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, in phase 2 trials) and ALTO-203 (a histamine inverse agonist in phase 2 for MDD, specifically targeting anhedonia, and regulates neurotransmitter release).
Scientists find the reason why people with schizophrenia hear voices — and maybe how to stop them. Research from Shanghai suggests that the brain’s failure to recognize its own speech may explain schizophrenia’s phantom voices. The research indicates a copy of motor signals in the brain, termed efference copy (EC) or corollary discharge (CD), suppresses sensory responses to yield a sense of agency; impairment of the inhibitory function leads to hallucinations.
Patients with treatment resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression may now experience some relief using focused ultrasound. The helmet-like device is lined with 1,000 transducers of ultrasound that can be directed to discreet regions of the brain, generating heat and creating a permanent lesion where the ultrasound waves interept. The single procedure is attractive to patients who must travel to be treated and allows for more patients, locally and globally, to be treated. While effects are not immediate, data shows the effect tends to accrue over time.
A recent longitudinal, retrospective study examined antipsychotic prescribing and rehospitalization rates in a forensic psychiatric sample. Findings included: atypical antipsychotics were the most prescribed, with a 75.9% rate, and 39.9% of patients experienced antipsychotic polypharmacy. Clozapine, prescribed to 19% of patients, showed potential in reducing rehospitalization duration but was not statistically significant. Long-acting injectable antipsychotics did not reduce rehospitalization rates compared to oral antipsychotics. Over half of the patients were rehospitalized, often voluntarily or preventively, due to anxiety or mental state deterioration.
A new study shows how virtual reality can better prepare police officers to de-escalate mental health crises. Officers engaged in simulations with characters portraying symptoms of schizophrenic psychosis. More than half reported learning new techniques, and many reported enhanced empathy. An empathetic approach values proactive care over reactive punishment and is a key to decriminalizing mental illness. “Because of the disproportionate volume of contact between individuals with serious mental illness and law enforcement, reducing the likelihood of police interaction with individuals in [a] psychiatric crisis may represent the single most immediate, practical strategy for reducing fatal police encounters in the United States,” a 2015 report by TAC reads.


This month, take time out to mentor or share some wisdom with someone, whether it’s a young person, a friend, or a colleague. ❤
January is recognized as National Mentoring Month, a month-long opportunity to focus on being a mentor and raising awareness of mentoring. Founded in 2002, National Mentoring Month celebrates mentoring and the positive effect it can have, particularly on young people. Its goals are to:
- Raise awareness of mentoring in its various forms.
- Recruit individuals to mentor, especially in programs that have waiting lists of young people.
- Promote the rapid growth of mentoring by recruiting organizations to engage their constituents in mentoring.
Check out our article for details and resources on Mentoring here.

Check out APA’s 2024 Practitioner Pulse Survey report!
Psychologists continue to face capacity issues such as longer waitlists, patients with increasingly severe symptoms, increases in treatment course length, and a sense that they are unable to meet the demand for treatment. About half (53%) of psychologists this year did not have openings for new patients. And despite improvements in stress levels, work-life balance, and self-care practices, a third of psychologists still reported feeling burned out – a trend that seems to be disproportionately affecting early career psychologists. Early career psychologists reported higher levels of stress and burnout than psychologists later in their careers, which may have implications for the future of the mental health workforce. 21 pages of data and details in the report.

2025 kicked off with 21 states and 48 cities and counties seeing a rise in their minimum wage.
According to figures from the National Employment Law Project, 55 of those jurisdictions hiked pay rates to meet or exceed the $15 per hour that advocates have long set their sights on. Later in 2025, Florida and Oregon are also slated to join the list of states raising minimum hourly wages for workers, as legislators try to bump compensation for America’s lowest-paid employees after years of inflation.
In total, a record 88 jurisdictions— 23 states and 65 cities and counties—will raise their minimum wage floors by the end of 2025.

Arkansas State Capitol Building
Date: Wednesday, March 5
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Contact: Amanda Strange
AFSP’s annual Advocacy Action Day brings advocates together in the state capital to advocate for policy changes that will help prevent suicide. You will be trained on advocacy best-practices and AFSP’s top policy issues for your state before meeting with state public officials to:
- Share with them why suicide prevention is important to YOU and to your community
- Educate them about the work being done in your community to prevent suicide
- Teach them what more must be done to prevent suicide.
These personal connections made during Advocacy Action Days help to educate lawmakers about suicide, inspire them to act, and move state issues and bills forward each year.

The mission of the STARR Coalition is to create meaningful change by increasing COMMUNICATION, PARTNERSHIPS, and GOODWILL among stakeholders in the areas of mental health clinical research, advocacy, and treatment with emphasis on community and advocacy engagement, stigma reduction, and ensuring that research is widely recognized as a trusted care option. ❤

