On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave permission for large-scale, Phase 3 clinical trials to study whether MDMA, the pure form of the club drug known as Ecstasy, can be used on PTSD patients. If these tests prove successful, MDMA could start being prescribed by psychotherapists as soon as 2021, the New York Times reported.
“The FDA is ready for us to go forward with Phase 3 clinical trials based on the research already completed,” explained MAPS spokesman Brad Burge. “We are still determining, with the FDA’s guidance, the final form of the Phase 3 trials. There is now a clear path ahead for the prescription approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD.”
If approved, the MDMA would only be administered to a patient a limited number of times, and only in the presence of a trained psychotherapist.
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