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The U.S. government announced Nov. 12 through the official website of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that it will allocate up to $4.9 million for new research into a plant-derived psychoactive substance with potential to treat mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition that affects many war veterans.
The investment is part of a broader strategy to speed up the study of psychedelic drugs and other therapeutic alternatives that could be used to treat mental illnesses that significantly affect the quality of life of those who suffer from them.
What is the project the government will invest $4.9 million in?
The project seeks to advance the development of ibogaine as a possible treatment for these mental health conditions. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that veterans fulfilled their commitment to the country and that the government must do the same.
According to Kennedy Jr., this substance has shown favorable results in different cases, so its effects “demand” rigorous scientific research.
Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid extracted mainly from the roots of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, native to countries such as Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.
In recent years, it has drawn the interest of the scientific community for its potential to treat addiction, especially because of its possible effects on withdrawal symptoms and compulsive cravings for substances.
What kinds of conditions is this project aimed at treating?
The research will focus mainly on PTSD, a condition common among war veterans. The goal is to expand knowledge about ibogaine’s potential to treat other serious mental illnesses. The conditions included in current and future research lines include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): one of the main goals of the new projects funded by ARPA-H.
- Substance use disorders: researchers plan to study ibogaine’s potential to treat addiction.
- Opioid use disorder: ARPA-H is also working on a specific initiative to evaluate the substance in people with opioid dependence.
What type of substances will be studied?
The $4.9 million project focuses on ibogaine. Researchers will specifically study ibogaine hydrochloride, a single-molecule formulation of the substance.
The work will be divided into two main lines:
- Beond Inc.: will collect clinical data to assess the safety, doses, efficacy and duration of ibogaine’s possible effects.
- Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company: will develop the regulatory, clinical, chemical and engineering foundations to manufacture pharmaceutical-grade ibogaine in the United States, with a view to its possible use against PTSD.
Separately, the Health Department announced an independent $20 million call to study other fast-acting compounds such as:
- Ketamine: an anesthetic with psychedelic properties at certain doses and in therapeutic settings.
- Esketamine: a compound related to ketamine, used in specific treatments for depression.
- Psilocybin: a psychoactive compound found in certain species of mushrooms.
What other projects are underway in drug research?
The investment in ibogaine is part of a broader U.S. government strategy to speed up research into psychedelic substances to develop fast-acting treatments for mental illnesses.
Among the main initiatives are:
The agreement between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which calls for increased veteran participation in clinical trials, training for health professionals and the collection of information on the effectiveness and costs of these therapies.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) research on ibogaine and opioid addiction, which aims to study whether new doses and ways of administering it can reduce its potential therapeutic risks.
And finally, ARPA-H’s ASCENT-IBO program, which seeks to advance phase 1 and 2 clinical trials to evaluate the safety and potential of ibogaine in treating opioid use disorder in order to move on to phase 3.