A new clinical trial has seen encouraging results with LSD treatment. It has even won US Food and Drug Administration breakthrough therapy status for an LSD formulation to treat generalized anxiety disorder. Mind Medicine Inc. is the biopharmaceutical company behind the drug and studies.
MindMed’s MM120 will still undergo the standard FDA approval process, including phase III trials. Two other companies have also received FDA breakthrough therapy status: psilocybin and MDMA.
A single dose of MM120 (lysergide d-tartrate) led to a 48% rate of remission from generalized anxiety disorder at 12 weeks following the drug’s administration, according to MindMed. The drug also significantly improved clinical signs of generalized anxiety disorder for 65% of patients within three months.
They have found that 100 micrograms is the right dose to treat anxiety. They have not seen any more improvements going to 200 micrograms and no additional adverse effects either.
The MM120 study was accomplished without the use of psychotherapy during the session. Most research with MDMA and psilocybin relied on trained therapists who talked through the experience with their patients.
Dr. Daniel Karlin, assistant professor of psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and chief medical officer for MindMed had this to say:
“A breakthrough designation is a recognition that a drug has demonstrated evidence of clinical efficacy in meeting an unmet medical need with morbidity and mortality associated with it”
