FDA Puts ‘Magic Mushroom’ Ingredient on Fast Track for Depression Treatment.
Company will soon begin clinical trials to determine how effective psilocybin is in treating depression.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a psychedelic ingredient found in magic mushrooms for a drug trial aimed at helping to cure treatment-resistant depression.
The FDA has given the green light to Compass Pathways to perform clinical trials using psilocybin.
Compass Pathways is a life sciences company founded in London, England, in 2016. They are currently developing a clinical trial using psilocybin therapy for European and North American patients suffering from treatment-resistant depression.
The new study, undertaken by Compass Pathways, is a phase II b study, meaning it is a rigorously controlled trial that demonstrates whether or not a treatment works. If the trial is successful, it will be followed by phase III studies, which will compare the new treatment with the traditional treatment standards.
What is psilocybin?
Psilocybin is the active chemical found in ‘magic mushrooms’ and is commonly classified as a psychedelic drug. However, when used for therapeutic purposes, the drug is prepared in a high-quality, controlled dose.
Although psilocybin has been used for spiritual or religious purposes in different cultures for centuries, the popularisation of psychedelics for recreational use in the 1960s resulted in moral panic, which led to its eventual criminalisation.
Now, new research on the potential for psilocybin to treat conditions such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, drug dependencies, and to assist individuals facing life-threatening diseases is part of the groundswell of renewed interest which is now being hailed as a ‘psychedelic renaissance’.
The term ‘psychedelic’ describes drugs that can change an individual’s perception of the world, mood and thoughts.
The debate surrounding the classification of psilocybin means it’s described both as an entheogen (a drug that inspires spiritual experiences) and an empathogen (a drug that encourages feelings of empathy and connectedness).
According to research, Psilocybin may be more effective for treating some of the most challenging cases of depression than drugs already on the market.
Approximately 350 million people around the world suffer from depression, according to the World Health Organization. In the U.S. alone, nearly 7% of adults had at least one major depressive episode in 2015.
There Are Also Previous Studies About Hallucinogen Benefits
An NYU and John Hopkins study conducted in 2016 showed a single doseof psilocybin decreased symptoms in patients with cancer-related anxiety.The result was rapid, and long-term relief of psychological distress. These findings were published in The Journal of Psychopharmacology.
Back in the 1950s to late 1960s hallucinogens were administered to patients with end-stage cancers. The outcome was enhanced mood and reduced anxiety, even for patients with extreme depression. In October 1968, the US federally banned psilocybin with a limited number of studies over the years.
Other studies suggest psilocybin may protect the brain against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (click here to learn more).
If you or someone you know has signs of depression please support them and urge them to seek medical help.
Why use Mushrooms for depression symptoms?
16.2 million adults in the United States report experiencing a major depressive event in the past year.[3] However, approximately 30% of all people with depression don’t find a drug that relieves their symptoms. This is known as treatment-resisting depression.[4] Are Prozac’s days numbered? Maybe it’s time to look beyond big pharma pills and towards plant-based compounds.
Rosalind Watts, a clinical psychologist, started out as a skeptic until she saw firsthand the results of people who had been treated with psilocybin. She is now is at the forefront of research and advocates for the controlled use of psilocybin to combat depression and anxiety. Watch her unique take below: