Drug Science and University College London (UCL) are joining forces to dive into the mysterious world of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, aiming to decode the “psychotherapeutic component” that’s as elusive as a cat in a magician’s hat. The duo is set to start their magical journey in 2025, tinkering with therapeutic techniques to pinpoint what makes MDMA-assisted therapy tick.
Despite MDMA-assisted therapy showing up to clinical trials with shiny results and even getting a breakthrough therapy shoutout from the FDA, the FDA recently swiped left. Their reasons? A combo of regulation woes, issues with blinding, fears of MDMA being misused, therapist training headaches, and a big question mark over long-term benefits.
Drug Science, an independent UK charity that’s like Sherlock Holmes for unbiased drug research, is running experiments to see what happens when psychotherapists take MDMA. They’re hoping to crack the psychological code of MDMA and polish its therapeutic charm to meet those pesky regulatory standards.
UCL, the Hogwarts of universities with its vast and diverse student body, is bringing its multidisciplinary magic to the table. Together, they’re gearing up to turn MDMA-assisted therapy from a controversial cocktail into a finely-tuned potion of healing.
For more details, you can summon James Bunn (no invisibility cloak required).
Reference: https://www.drugscience.org.uk/uclmdma
Published Date: 2024-09-02