A once-controversial psychedelic substance could potentially be a promising treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). That’s the view of Dr. Rakesh Jain, a psychiatrist with extensive experience in clinical practice, research, and education, affiliated with Texas Tech University School of Medicine. Jain expressed optimism in LSD-based therapy while acknowledging the challenges inherent in such a…
FDA grants breakthrough status to LSD-based anxiety treatment
In a major shift away from decades of stigma, the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to MindMed‘s MM120, an LSD-based treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). This milestone not only underscores the growing recognition of the therapeutic potential of psychedelics but also could point to a potential turning point for the struggling psychedelic sector…
LSD shows promise as standalone anxiety treatment in trial
Phase 2b data from MindMed’s LSD-based therapy adds to the mounting evidence that psychedelic-assisted therapies could treat mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and PTSD. In particular, the study found statistically significant dose-dependent improvements in the Hamilton Anxiety rating scale (HAM-A) at the 100 and 200 μg dose levels in the four-week study. Similarly, recent…
Atai Life Sciences launches Phase 1 clinical trial of MDMA derivative
A growing number of companies have launched clinical trials for methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its derivatives. The most recent is Atai Life Sciences, which saw its share price surge 7.71% in mid-day trading to $3.38 after announcing it had launched a Phase 1 study of an MDMA derivative, EMP-01. The study will focus on post-traumatic stress…
MindMed announces Phase 1 study of MDMA-like substances
On the heels of launching a Phase 2b study of LSD in generalized anxiety disorder, MindMed (Nasdaq: MNMD) has dosed the first subject in a Phase 1 study evaluating MDMA-like substances in healthy volunteers. MindMed is developing a synthetic enantiomer of MDMA as a potential treatment for core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early…
LSD-assisted therapy resulted in durable anxiety improvement in Phase 2 study
A randomized placebo-controlled Phase 2 study found that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)–assisted therapy yielded significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms for up to 16 weeks. The data from the study was recently published in the peer-reviewed Biological Psychiatry. Researchers at the University Hospital Basel (UHB) conducted the investigator-initiated study, which involved 42 patients. While…
MindMed launches Phase 2b to study LSD in generalized anxiety disorder
Psychedelic medicine firm MindMed (Nasdaq: MNMD) has dosed the first patient in a Phase 2b dose-optimization trial of MM-120, a pharmaceutically optimized form of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). The study will test the potential of LSD to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), which affects about 3% of the population. While LSD emerged as the definitive psychedelic…
As interest in psychedelic medicine grows, Big Pharma sits on the sidelines
While Big Pharma has yet to embrace psychedelics as potential treatments for depression and other psychiatric disorders, interest in psychedelic medicine is building. Earlier this month, Nature Medicine published a Phase 3 study indicating that psychotherapy assisted with methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) was a more effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than therapy alone. The study authors concluded…