The Department of Veteran Affairs is funding a study to investigate whether MDMA, also known as ecstasy, combined with talk therapy can effectively treat post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol-use disorder, Politico reported Oct. 30.
The commitment follows the FDA's August rejection of a plan proposed by Lykos Therapeutics, which aimed to use MDMA to treat PTSD. The FDA's outside advisers found the regimen was ineffective and determined its risks outweighed its benefits. As a result, Lykos laid off 75% of its workforce.
The new study, to take place at Providence VA Medical Center in Rhode Island, will be designed to address the concerns raised by the FDA, especially regarding biases in previous research. For example, the VA plans to administer low doses of MDMA to the placebo group to reduce the chances of participants knowing whether they received the drug or a placebo, according to the report.
In January, the VA announced it would fund research into psychedelics for PTSD and depression for the first time since the 1960s, focusing on veterans' needs.