LSD treatment for Alzheimer’s patients proves safe in recent trial
pharmafile | December 19, 2019 | News story | Business Services | Alzheimer's, FDA, LSD, Magic mushrooms, psilocybin
The results of a Phase 1 clinical trial shows that Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) can be microdosed safely, and potentially used to treat Alzheimer’s.
The trial was conducted in the UK, and was primarily set out to explore the tolerability and safety of periodic LSD microdosed in healthy older patients. The results showed that no adverse effects were detected in any of the group tests, and no abnormalities were seen across blood pressure, heart rate or ECG measurements.
The early trial data does not identify any significant cognitive benefits in microdosing, but demonstrates that it is safe enough to be used in further trials.
The study was funded by the Eleusis Benefit Corporation, who plans to target Alzheimer’s with this method.
Charles Nichols, co-author of the new study, said: “LSD’s unique polypharmacology may serve to enhance its capacity to simultaneously modulate multiple key pathological processes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, including neuroinflammation, that are implicated in its progression from mild cognitive impairment.”
Psychedelics have long been shunned in medical research, as most world governments have outlawed and demonised them. However there has been resurgence in their use in clinical trials.
Magic Mushrooms, or psilocybin, have been given Breakthrough Therapy by the FDA twice in the last twelve months, and the FDA have also approved a ketamine-derived depression treatment.
Conor Kavanagh
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