U.S. Veterans Affairs starts psychedelic trials for PTSD

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun two clinical trials using psychedelic‑assisted therapy for veterans with severe mental‑health conditions. One study will test MDMA‑assisted psychotherapy in about 80 veterans who suffer from both treatment‑resistant post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol‑use disorder, recruiting participants at VA facilities in Providence, Rhode Island and West Haven, Connecticut. The trial is randomized, double‑blind and placebo‑controlled.

A separate VA‑sponsored program is launching research on psilocybin, the active compound in “magic mushrooms,” to evaluate its safety and efficacy for veterans with treatment‑resistant depression and PTSD. Both trials are part of a broader VA effort that now includes roughly 20 psychedelic‑focused studies, following an executive order to accelerate novel mental‑health treatments. The FDA has already granted breakthrough‑therapy designations to several psychedelics, paving the way for accelerated review.