The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is requesting applications for proposals from its network of VA researchers, in collaboration with academic institutions, to study the use of certain psychedelic compounds in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.
VA intends to gather scientific evidence on the potential efficacy and safety of psychedelic compounds such as Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and psilocybin when used in conjunction with psychotherapy to treat veterans with PTSD and depression. This is the first time since the 1960s that VA is funding research on such compounds.
Our nations veterans deserve the very best care, and VA is constantly supporting innovations to deliver that, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said.This is an important step to explore the efficacy of a potential new set of promising treatments that could improve the health and quality of life for veterans.
As with all other VA studies, research conducted on psychedelic compounds will be completed under stringent safety protocols. While these compounds are controlled substances, tightly restricted under federal law, research on these compounds may be conducted with appropriate regulatory approvals, including those from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Drug Enforcement Administration. The FDA granted breakthrough therapy status for MDMA for treating PTSD and psilocybin for treating depression in (2018 and 2019, respectively) based on promising preliminary research evidence.
In September, more than 75 VA and other federal clinicians, scientists and policy makers gathered in Denver to assess the state of existing scientific evidence regarding psychedelic-assisted therapies. This meetings working groups provided advice to VA leadership, including the recommendation for VA to begin funding its own studies into these compounds.This guidance was based onpreviously published studiesthat have found promising results but included few or no Veterans. For example,researchers at Johns Hopkins have shownthat psilocybin therapy, given with supportive therapy, can ease symptoms of depression for up to 12 months. Additionally, 86% of participants in arecent peer-reviewed studyachieved a clinically meaningful benefit from using MDMA to treat PTSD.
VA researchers have already conducted a limited number of small studies on psychedelics in VA facilities using non-VA funding. This sets the stage for the next step of directly assessing effectiveness and safety of using MDMA and psilocybin-augmented psychotherapy for veterans.
Expanding research on psychedelics to address veteran mental health is also in line with calls from The American Legionand other veterans service organizations. The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024 also authorized the study of psychedelics within military populations by the Department of Defense. With this new announcement, VA will join the National Institutes of Health in supporting research that will yield insights for treating PTSD and depression.
Link:
VA ramps up study of psychedelic to treat PTSD - The American Legion
- Review: Tripping on Utopia Complicates the History of Psychedelics - AOL - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Psychedelics Are Going Mainstream. Investing in Them Hasn't. - The Wall Street Journal - January 7th, 2024 [January 7th, 2024]
- Another Study Shows African Psychedelic Plant Ibogaine Treats Traumatic Brain Injury in Vets With 'Dramatic' Results - Good News Network - January 7th, 2024 [January 7th, 2024]
- Massachusetts Lawmakers Will Be Forced To Consider Psychedelics Legalization Measure That Activists Petitioned ... - Marijuana Moment - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- VA to begin researching psychedelics as treatment option for veterans - Government Executive - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- VA Is Funding New Research On Psychedelics' Benefits For Veterans With PTSD And Depression - Marijuana Moment - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Scientists predict DMT trip from cardiac activity - Big Think - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- If psychedelics heal, how do they do it? | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - pnas.org - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Psychedelics for acquired brain injury: a review of molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential | Molecular ... - Nature.com - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- U.S. Rep. Correa supports using psychedelics to treat veterans with PTSD - New Santa Ana - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- DEA Confirms That Psychedelic Mushroom Spores Are Federally Legal Prior To Germination - Marijuana Moment - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Psychedelics for Psych Conditions Made Their Mark in 2023 - Medpage Today - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- 2023: A Good Trip Around the Sun for Psychedelics - The National Law Review - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Understanding the Role of the FDA in Advancing Psychedelic Therapy - Medriva - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- MAPS PBC Closes $100m Series A, Rebrands to Lykos Therapeutics - Psychedelic Alpha - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Closing the innovation gap: Advancing psychedelic therapy and medicines in EU mental health care - Open Access Government - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- The Austin Chronic: SXSW Is High on Psychedelics, as Cannabis Programming Wanes - Austin Chronicle - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- This Forgotten Psychedelic Could Revolutionize Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment - Inverse - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- A 'milestone' for psychedelics: Pentagon directed to study alternative treatments for veterans - Washington Times - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Psychedelic Drugs Are Rushing Towards Approval for Therapy. Here's What's Next - Singularity Hub - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- The top 8 psychedelic books you need to read | GreenState - GreenState - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Lykos Therapeutics Secures $100M in Series A Funding, Rebrands from MAPS PBC - Green Market Report - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- DEA Calls For Even More THC, Psilocybin And DMT To Be Produced For Research In 2024 - Marijuana Moment - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- Here's What You Missed in Cannabis, Psychedelics This Week - TipRanks.com - TipRanks - January 5th, 2024 [January 5th, 2024]
- You're not tripping: State and local leaders give psychedelics another chance - Route Fifty - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Are Consciousness-Expanding Psychedelics Like Psilocybin More Effective Than Prozac, Zoloft, Xanax, and Other ... - Nautilus - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- RFK, Ramaswamy And Williamson Push Psychedelics Reform On Presidential Campaign Trail - Marijuana Moment - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Peyote is the darling of the psychedelics renaissance. Indigenous users say it co-opts a sacred way of life - The Guardian US - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- USask researchers explore untold history of psychedelics - News - University of Saskatchewan - USask News - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- California Governor Says Psychedelics Have 'Profound' Healing Potential, But He's Undecided On Legalization Bill As ... - Marijuana Moment - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- As psychedelic-assisted therapy grows, so does interest from a new group: chaplains - NPR - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- This Maine City Moves Unanimously On Decriminalizing Psychedelics: Focus On Public Health - Benzinga - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Tech Leaders Are Finding Balance Through Microdosing Psychedelics - The Dales Report - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Chronic Pain Can Be Treated by Psychedelics, Survey Suggests - Psychedelic Spotlight - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Insights Into the First Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Guidelines With ... - Psychedelic Spotlight - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Living with long-term cancer is depressing. Texas doctors say psychedelics could help - The Hill - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Couples Are Doing MDMA and Ketamine Therapy To Save Their Relationships - VICE - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- The Way People Are Using Psychedelics Is Changing Amid Reform ... - Marijuana Moment - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- [WATCH] Turn on, tune in, legalise: Could psychedelics be next in ... - MaltaToday - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Will Psychedelics Be Rescheduled After FDA Approval? - Harris Bricken - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- The Psychedelic Preparedness Scale: A Tool to Optimize Trip ... - Filter - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- How to Test Psychedelics for Adulterants with Testing Kits - Psychedelic Spotlight - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Cannabis Science Conference to debut in Providence, R.I., with ... - GlobeNewswire - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- New Speaker Rivas weighs in on psychedelics, housing and health care worker minimum wage - Yahoo News - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- TDR's Top 5 Psychedelic Developments For The Week Of July 10 - The Dales Report - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Psychedelic Treatment with Psilocybin Relieves Major Depression, Study ... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Johns Hopkins Launches Center For Psychedelic Research - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Psilocybin Treatment for Major Depression Effective for Up to a Year ... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Inside the Johns Hopkins Psilocybin Playlist - Hopkins Medicine - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Research Story Tip: Psychedelic Drug Psilocybin Tamps Down Brains Ego ... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Psychedelics: Risks, benefits, and more - Medical News Today - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Psychedelic Drug Effects, Side Effects & Dangers - January 25th, 2023 [January 25th, 2023]
- Psychedelics Decriminalization Project In Berkeley, Cal Includes ... - January 6th, 2023 [January 6th, 2023]
- Ancient mummified child was drugged with psychedelics before ritual ... - December 14th, 2022 [December 14th, 2022]
- The therapeutic potential of psychedelics - Science - December 14th, 2022 [December 14th, 2022]
- Changing Lives with Psychedelics: How Connecticut researchers are using magic mushrooms to help people overcome depression, OCD - WTNH.com - November 19th, 2022 [November 19th, 2022]
- Penis Envy Mushroom | Legal Psychedelics | Magic Mushroom - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- Psychedelics. Discussing natural and synthetic friends. Science, News ... - November 5th, 2022 [November 5th, 2022]
- The Harms of Psychedelics Need to Be Put Into Context - WIRED - November 5th, 2022 [November 5th, 2022]
- Packers' Aaron Rodgers says psychedelics led to his back-to-back MVP ... - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- With Promise of Legalization, Psychedelic Companies Joust Over Future Profits - The New York Times - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- How do psychedelics work? This brain region may explain their effects - PBS - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Why is the American right suddenly so interested in psychedelic drugs? - The Guardian - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Can Psychedelics Cure? Science Is on the Verge of Finding Out - Newsweek - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Large national survey suggests that the use of psychedelics is not associated with lifetime cancer development - PsyPost - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- This Pharma Company Just Scored Another Psychedelics Patent And Set Its Sights On 70 More - Small Pharma - Benzinga - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What Made the Mushrooms Magic: Psychedelic Study Explores the Odd Evolution of Mind-Altering Fungi - The Debrief - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Psychedelics And Wellness: The Healing Company Buys PepsiCo-Backed Superfoods Company - (HLCO) - Benzinga - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What's on the Colorado ballot? Housing, psychedelics, school meals, alcohol, taxes and more | FOX31 Denver - FOX 31 Denver - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- DoseConnect to Sponsor the Tech Stage at Wonderland Miami by Microdose - Benzinga - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What Is Going on With Bright Minds (DRUG) Stock Today? - InvestorPlace - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Psychedelics May Ease Fear of Death and Dying - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- TDR's Top 5 Psychedelic Developments For The Week Of October 10 - The Dales Report - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- DEA Wants To Boost Production Of Cannabis & Psychedelics For Research In 2023 - Benzinga - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Talk set to explore psychedelics and mental health - Reading Today - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Silo Wellness Closes Acquisition of Dyscovry Science and Its Psilocybin Pharmaceutical Biosynthesis and Research Portfolio - Yahoo Finance - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- How does psilocybin rewire the brain? - Open Access Government - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- HYTN Awarded Controlled Drugs and Substances Dealers License Allowing for Production and Sale of Psilocybin - Yahoo Finance - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- The Healing Company acquires leading superfoods business, Your Super, and lands $150M credit facility to expand community of brands - Yahoo Finance - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- 5 Things to Know About Colorados Psychedelics Ballot Initiative - Kaiser Health News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]