Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions, affecting nearly six percent of adults worldwide. Many people use prescription medications or therapy, yet symptoms persist for some. Now, researchers report that a single dose of a psychedelic drug may ease symptoms—and the treatment itself may take less time than it does to order a pizza.
A new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Medicine examined the efficacy of dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, in adults with moderate-to-severe depression. DMT is a naturally occurring tryptamine found in certain plants that can produce intense, short-lived psychedelic effects.
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Indigenous peoples in parts of South America have used DMT ceremonially in ayahuasca rituals for centuries. Researchers are now studying whether a synthesized form of the compound could make it more accessible.
The Phase 2a, double-blind study enrolled 34 participants. The median age was about 33 (OR “just shy of 33”), with 10 identifying as female and 24 as male. More than 88 percent identified as white. On average, participants had lived with depression for 10.5 years.
Researchers measured symptoms using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), a widely used interview-based assessment. They collected baseline scores before treatment, then again two weeks and three months after dosing.
Half of the participants received a single 21.5-milligram IV infusion of synthetic DMT, formulated as DMT fumarate (SPL026), while the other half received a placebo. Cybin UK, the study sponsor, supplied the drug for the trial as disclosed in the ethics section of the paper.
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The infusions lasted about 10 minutes, and both groups received psychotherapy during treatment.
Two weeks after treatment, participants who received DMT had MADRS scores that averaged 7.5 points lower than those in the placebo group, suggesting reduced symptoms. Researchers reported that the difference persisted at the three-month follow-up.
Researchers said participants generally tolerated DMT well. The study reported no serious adverse events or instances of suicidal ideation. Most side effects were mild or moderate, with infusion-site pain the most common.
The study had notable limitations, including its small sample size and a participant pool skewed toward younger white adults. Longer-term outcomes also remain unclear. The authors called for larger, longer trials, including head-to-head comparisons with existing treatments, to confirm the findings. Depression is often a long-term illness, and many treatments take weeks to show benefits. An IV DMT treatment could potentially offer faster symptom relief, though more research is needed. Whether the psychedelic becomes a mainstream clinical option will depend on the results of larger trials and regulatory review.
