VA Launches Psilocybin Trial For Veterans With Treatment-Resistant Depression

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the launch of a new clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of psilocybin to treat major depression in Veterans, including those with concurrent PTSD. The new trial comes after a recent executive order on “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” which aims to increase clinical trial participation and accelerate innovative research models and drug approvals for psychedelic drugs.

[…] The randomized, controlled trial will enroll Veterans diagnosed with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, with or without concurrent PTSD, and will compare outcomes between two psilocybin dosage levels. The study will also assess participants’ levels of depression before and after treatment, tolerability of side effects, and overall patient-reported depression. […] In addition to this trial, VA is involved in 20 active clinical trials focused on psychedelic therapies for mental health conditions. All VA research — including research into psychedelics — is conducted under strict safety protocols and in full compliance with federal guidelines.