LSD could be approved for anxiety in the US in 2027 — SkimNews
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Definium Therapeutics recruited more than 200 US adults with moderate-to-severe generalized anxiety disorder and found a single 100-microgram LSD dose cut anxiety scores by 9.8 points on a 56-point scale, versus 4.7 points for placebo, three months after dosing.
- Robert Barrow of Definium said the trial showed "a rapid and durable effect" for a condition with "no innovation in decades," with no participants experiencing severe or lasting side effects.
- The trial included a 50-microgram LSD arm — a dose hallucinogenic but too weak to reduce anxiety — serving as an "active placebo" so participants couldn't easily guess whether they got the real drug.
- Greg Cooper of University College London called the results "a milestone" and said FDA approval within one to two years "looks fairly likely," a precedent that could extend to the UK and Europe.
- Dan Karlin of Definium said the team "stripped everything back" by skipping post-dose psychotherapy to isolate the drug-only effect, unlike most psychedelic trials; Jules Evans added that pairing LSD with therapy would likely boost outcomes further.
- Jules Evans warned that LSD can rarely cause psychosis and suicidal thoughts, and the trial excluded anyone with such a history — strict screening he said must remain in place if the drug is approved.
Why it matters: Generalized anxiety disorder affects nearly 3% of US adults annually with no new treatments in decades, Barrow noted; a single-dose therapy that cut scores roughly 10 points would offer a meaningful option for moderate-to-severe patients who failed standard treatments, though tightly controlled clinical administration remains essential.
Ask SkimNews
