Will LSD, MDMA, Ketamine and Hallucinogenic Mushrooms Become the New Antidepressants?
More and more studies are showing that some psychedelics, such as LSD, MDMA, ketamine and hallucinogenic mushrooms, hold promise when incorporated into broader treatment programs to treat depression and more. All the details
The pandemic, burnout, economic, occupational or emotional instability (the list could go on and on) are among the reasons that are driving people not only to use anxiolytics or antidepressants, but also to consider other options for coping. particular situations of stress or trauma.
So much so that some psychedelic substances, such as LSD, Mdma, ketamine and hallucinogenic mushrooms, in a not too distant day could no longer be considered only drugs but also drugs – obviously to be administered under medical supervision.
THE FIRST STEPS
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, for example, has already authorized a study on the effects of LSD, in a pharmacologically optimized form, in the treatment of anxiety.
Mind Medicine , also known as MindMed, is the biopharmaceutical company, writes Fortune , that developed the drug and says it expects to start clinical trials "in early 2022."
The company, according to Forbes , will collaborate with Professor Matthias Liechti, one of the world leaders in psychedelic pharmacology and clinical research at the University Hospital of Basel. The company will also obtain exclusive worldwide rights to data, compounds and patent rights associated with research on LSD and other psychedelics.
"We will focus on data and clinical trials and develop the intellectual property that will help us create FDA-approved drugs," said MindMed co-founder JR Rahn. "We need to make the average man understand that these are not evil drugs – they can be used as medicines and be successful in treating unmet medical needs."
In Philadelphia, also known as the city of brotherly love, SoundMind was founded, the first psychotherapy treatment center assisted by psychedelics, which are therefore supported by therapy paths.
THE BOOM IN THE USA
“Oregon is legalizing mushrooms. Ketamine can be delivered to your home. People are microdosing LSD to treat pandemic anxiety, and Wall Street is pouring billions into companies that sell mind-altering drugs. It seems that psychedelics – albeit mostly still illegal – are everywhere, ”writes The New York Times .
While the federal government does not recognize a medical use for most of these drugs, some of the world's leading universities are studying four substances in particular: psilocybin [hallucinogenic mushrooms ] , ketamine, MDMA and LSD. Most of the available research suggests that these substances hold promise when incorporated into larger treatment programs.
There is also growing evidence, the NYT continues, that psychedelic drugs work differently in the brain than addictive drugs. For this reason, supporters have constantly called for its legalization.
FROM HIPPY EXPERIENCE TO MAINSTREAM
Until recently, the Philadelphia Magazine explains, psychedelic drug use was considered hippies, "but with the resurgence and approval in popular culture of drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin, ketamine and LSD, which only recently it seemed to go against the grain and is suddenly becoming mainstream ”.
"Everyone says that the experience gives them a relief that they could not find elsewhere", reads the article in which the testimonies of people who make very limited use of it are reported. They say they don't see melting walls, bright colors, or other hallucinations seen in movies. The emotional impact, on the other hand, appears to be enormous: “I found that the greatest effect of this microdosing was on my patience with my family and my daughters,” said one interviewee.
A study on MDMA-assisted therapy in severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder was also published in the journal Nature in which experts concluded that this substance "represents a potential innovative treatment that deserves rapid clinical evaluation".
This "revolution of thought" has been spurred by writers and documentaries but also by major political changes, such as the legalization of marijuana in 18 US states , including Washington and its Washington DC federal district.
COMPANIES AND THE BUSINESS OF PSYCHEDELIC SUBSTANCES
But MindMed – which raised over $ 30 million from investors last year before going public in Canada – recalls Forbes , is just one of many companies trying to re-propose some psychedelics as drugs of the future. Compass Pathways, backed by billionaire Peter Thiel, for example, is running an FDA-approved clinical trial on psilocybin to treat depression. ATAI Life Sciences, based in Germany and backed by Galaxy Investment Partner CEO Michael Novogratz, invests and acquires companies such as DemeRX, which is studying how the hallucinogenic root iboga could help treat addiction.
And considering that, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America , anxiety disorders affect 40 million American adults, which is about 18% of the population, if we add to the consequences the pandemic will have on society , then that psychedelic drugs could be a very lucrative market.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/lsd-mdma-ketamina-e-funghi-allucinogeni-diventeranno-i-nuovi-antidepressivi/ on Mon, 31 Jan 2022 06:15:27 +0000.