Could 'magic mushrooms' treat severe depression? A major study aims to find out.
Can magic mushrooms treat depression? New research looks at psilocybin for people with treatment-resistant depression.
The largest-ever clinical trial of psilocybin — the psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms" — is set to begin by the end of December.
It's the first time a clinical trial of the hallucinogen has reached Phase 3, one of the last steps necessary before an experimental drug can go to the Food and Drug Administration for possible regulatory approval.
The research will look at whether the drug can effectively treat depression when other therapies have failed.
COMPASS Pathways, a United Kingdom-based pharmaceutical company that focuses on psilocybin research, is conducting the study. It's expected to include more than 900 people in 14 countries, including the U.S., and is projected to wrap by mid-2025, said Dr. Steve Levine, COMPASS senior vice president of patient access.
Levine said the company is building on previous research that shows the safety and effectiveness of the drug. "That gives us a lot of hope that potentially within a few years' time we could bring this through regulatory approval and hopefully to patients who really need it."
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