Anxious? Research Suggests LSD Might Help

LSD reduced symptoms of anxiety in a midstage study published this week, paving the way for additional testing and possible medical approval of a psychedelic drug that has been banned in the US for more than a half century, the AP reports. The results from drugmaker Mindmed tested several doses of LSD in patients with moderate-to-severe generalized anxiety disorder, with the benefits lasting as long as three months. The company plans to conduct follow-up studies to confirm the results and then apply for Food and Drug Administration approval.

Psychedelics are in the midst of a popular and scientific comeback, with conferences, documentaries, books, and medical journals exploring their potential for conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The FDA has designated psilocybin, MDMA, and now LSD as potential "breakthrough" therapies based on early results. But last year, the FDA rejected MDMA—also known as ecstasy—as a treatment for PTSD, citing flawed study methods, potential research bias and other issues. The new LSD study, published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, addresses some of those problems.

MDMA, like many other psychedelics, was tested in combination with hours of talk therapy by trained health professionals. That approach proved problematic for FDA reviewers, who said it was difficult to separate the benefits of the drug from those of therapy. The LSD study took a simpler approach: Patients got a single dose of LSD—under professional supervision, but without therapy—and then were followed for about three months. Nearly 200 patients received one of four differently sized doses of LSD or a placebo, and at four weeks, patients receiving the two highest doses had significantly lower anxiety scores than those who received placebo or lower doses.

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After 12 weeks, 65% of patients taking the most effective LSD dose—100 micrograms—continued to show benefits and nearly 50% were deemed to be in remission. But the research was not immune to problems seen in similar studies, and more research is planned. (Click for the full article, which addresses the concerns—as well as the long history of the consideration of LSD as a medical treatment.)