Issue 189

Psilocybin versus escitalopram for depression shows positive results

Mounting evidence is increasingly pointing to psilocybin-assisted therapy as an innovative new treatment for the condition, with clinical trials showing that the therapy is capable of producing rapid and long-lasting antidepressant effects.

However, while clinical trials have investigated the treatment itself, they have not compared the treatment to the current gold standard in depression medications or looked at the long-term effects of the treatment.

This Phase 2 trial is the first to compare the long-term antidepressant effects of these two treatments alongside mental health measures including work and social functioning, connectedness, and meaning in life.

The findings, published in eClinicalMedicine, revealed that both administered treatments saw sustained improvements in depressive symptoms, however, patients who were administered psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy saw greater lasting improvements.

PSYCHEDELIC THERAPIES ARE COMING TO EUROPE

Prescriptions for psychedelic drugs are closer than ever for European patients grappling with complex mental health problems – but there are still a few thorny hurdles to contend with.

For decades, psychedelics like LSD, magic mushrooms, and MDMA (ecstasy or molly) have been known primarily as party drugs that elicit hallucinogenic states, after studies on their therapeutic potential ground to a halt in the 1970s in both Europe and North America.

Today psychedelics are once again entering the mainstream. Research has picked back up, many European psychiatrists are generally open to psychedelics in medical practice, and countries like Switzerland and Australia are making them available to patients on a limited basis.

PSYCHEDELIC RESEARCH AT A CROSSROADS

A new editorial published in Science notes that, although results of trials using MDMA for trauma or psilocybin for depression are promising, psychedelic-assisted therapy is controversial because many questions about its safety and effectiveness are unanswered.

“This field is at a crossroads, and the research community must address several obstacles to transition from exploratory trials to established, evidence-based treatments while avoiding pitfalls that can hinder advancement.

“Our findings suggest that if the FDA gives the green light, psilocybin-assisted therapy has the potential to help millions of Americans who suffer from depression,” said lead author Syed Fayzan Rab.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

A study has shown that autism-related abnormalities in dogs were reversed with a single treatment of LSD.

Health Central looks at current research investigating psychedelics for the treatment of chronic pain.

John Krystal, MD, explores the future of ketamine and psychedelics in psychiatry for the Psychiatric Times.

A new study has revealed how psilocybin changes brain connectivity to treat body dysmorphic disorder

REGULATION AND LEGISLATION

The DEA has published a revised production agenda for 2024 calling for psilocybin and psilocin production to be increased by 50%.

A new survey reveals that 94% of global mental healthcare professionals are open to integrating psychedelic treatments Into their practices if legalised.

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT

Graft Polymer UK has appointed biotechnology industry leader Dennis Purcell as chairman.

Mindbio has enrolled its 25th participant into its clinical trial of MB22001 in patients with Major Depressive Disorder.

ARTICLES OF INTEREST

A new report from the London School of Economics (LSE) says that the UK government needs to reassess its spending priorities, suggesting a vital need for further investment in mental health.

EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has said Covid was a paradigm shift for health policymaking, emphasising the importance of integrating mental health into all policies, placing it on equal footing with physical health.