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\nPsychedelic therapy data \u2018speaks for itself,\u2019 VA official says<\/h3>\n
By Zamone Perez<\/strong><\/p>\n The Department of Veterans Affairs\u2019 top health official on Friday said the agency is prepared to spend \u201cat least in the millions\u201d of dollars on clinical trials of psychedelic therapies, pending a U.S. Food and Drug Administration decision on midomafetamine, or MDMA, assisted treatments expected later this year.<\/p>\n VA Under Secretary Shereef Elnahal\u2019s comments were delivered to conference attendees during a conversation with Jason Pyle, executive director of Healing Breakthrough, an organization working to treat veteran PTSD through MDMA-assisted therapy.<\/p>\n Elnahal discussed how the VA will play a pivotal role in answering more specific questions surrounding psychedelic therapies, such as the extent of treatment necessary to have an impact on veterans.<\/p>\n Further researching just how intensive these therapies have to be will better prepare the VA to respond to the surge in demand they expect following potential approval by the FDA, Elnahal said. A second phase III trial by Lykos Therapeutics, formerly the Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies Public Benefit Corporation, found more than 86% of participants who received the MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD experienced \u201cclinically meaningful\u201d improvement 18 weeks after starting the trial.<\/p>\n More than 71% of participants who participated in MDMA-assisted therapy no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD at the end study, compared to just over 46% of participants who had the placebo plus therapy. The VA is currently conducting 13 multisite clinical trials, Elnahal told the audience.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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\n\u201cThis initial request for proposals is supposed to be the spark that fuels even more research,\u201d Elnahal said. \u201cChances are that \u2014 because of the similar mechanisms of action, similar effect areas in the brain \u2014 we can see unique benefits of some of these other compounds. We\u2019re proving the case that the federal government is no longer afraid to engage in this.\u201d<\/p>\n