As a means to help those with post-traumatic stress disorder, a Food and Drug Administration panel of independent advisers will discuss whether or not MDMA-assisted therapy should be approved for a recommended treatment.
Lykos Therapeutics shared the news on Monday, noting that this will be the first FDA panel of outside experts to review a potential new PTSD treatment in the last 25 years.
More than that, this will be the first time that the FDA considers approving a psychedelic drug as a form of treatment.
“This will be the first MDMA-assisted therapy and psychedelic-assisted therapy to be reviewed by the Psychopharmacologic Drugs Advisory Committee, a significant milestone in the field of psychedelic medicine, resulting from decades of clinical research and advocacy,” Amy Emerson, Chief Executive Officer of Lykos Therapeutics, shared in a statement.
Studies have shown that the symptoms of PTSD, which are caused in patients who have gone through stressful events, can be tamed through psychoactive ingredients found in cannabis, LSD, and magic mushrooms.
Now, Lykos Therapeutics is using two large studies it conducted on the party drug MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly, to show the benefits it could have on those with PTSD.
The drug is intended to be used in combination with psychological intervention. This would include the patient also going through psychotherapy and other supportive services that a qualified healthcare provider can provide.
Currently, there has not been a psychedelic-based therapy approved in the United States, but companies are continuing to research whether or not the medications could be used to cure a range of mental health disorders.