Psychedelics like psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and LSD are seeing renewed interest thanks to their potential for mental health conditions. President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this year meant to accelerate research and development of psychedelic medicines.
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Now, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said his department is awarding up to $4.9 million to prepare for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for post-traumatic stress disorder. The money will help lay the groundwork for manufacturing, dosing, and designing studies of the drug.
Kennedy said the government will receive data and treatment guidance from Beond Inc., a Texas-based company that has treated more than 3,000 patients with ibogaine in Mexico, where the drug is not illegal.
“That is going to allow us to dramatically accelerate the clinical trial process,” Kennedy said. “We’re going to have, I think, a record drug approval process.”
Additional funding awards may explore ibogaine’s use for addiction, he said.
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Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, who joined Kennedy for the announcement, explained that the collaborative effort would focus first on safety and “best-in-class research.” The Trump administration has pushed for advancements in psychedelic medicine, specifically hoping to help former service members struggling with their mental health
“For veterans living with PTSD, we owe them both urgency and the best science we can produce,” Collins said.
Ibogaine is a Schedule I drug in the U.S.; it’s made from a shrub native to West Africa. It can cause intense hallucinations and has shown promise in treating addiction and other mental health issues. However, the drug has been linked to potentially deadly heart irregularities.
Trump’s April executive order called for human trials of ibogaine. The new funding could bring those studies one step closer, but whether the drug can safely and effectively treat PTSD remains an open question.
*The Associated Press contributed to this report.
