At Chacruna: The Benefits, Risks & Potential of Mainstreaming Ibogaine Psychedelic Treatment
Dr. Paul GlueThe first report that ibogaine could reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms and opioid craving dates back to the early 1960s.1 Since then, there has been growing enthusiasm for its use in treating a range of substance use disorders. Although a drug with antiaddiction properties could be of immense importance for addiction and mental health services, most of ibogaine’s clinical use has occurred outside of mainstream medical practice. Perhaps as a reflection of this, the scientific literature on ibogaine’s activity in humans is sparse, consisting mainly of uncontrolled case studies. For a drug with apparently promising clinical activity, how has this situation arisen? Is there a pathway for ibogaine or its analogues to get regulatory approval for clinical use? I have approached these questions from the perspective of conventional pharmaceutical development... continue reading.