New Zealand approves MDMA for clinical PTSD treatment

New Zealand’s medicines regulator, Medsafe, has approved two psychiatrists to prescribe and administer pharmaceutical-grade MDMA for the treatment of severe Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This decision makes New Zealand only the second country in the world to allow clinical MDMA use, following Australia’s 2023 decision.

The approved clinicians are Dr. Gary Gwyn in Wellington and Dr. Tom Paterson in Auckland. The treatment must be administered in a controlled clinical setting as part of a comprehensive psychotherapy program; patients will not be permitted to take the substance at home. The authorization is limited to patients aged 18 and older.

The approval is supported by data from Phase 3 clinical trials conducted by the US-based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and Lykos Therapeutics. These trials indicated significant clinical improvements in patients with severe PTSD. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour supported the move, stating that PTSD “destroys lives” and emphasizing New Zealand’s commitment to “innovative treatments.”