STAT+: Definium LSD therapy helped patients with major depression in late-stage trial
Get the Health newsletter
Daily health & science — research, biotech, public health, the studies worth knowing. Free.
- Definium Therapeutics said Monday that its LSD therapy significantly helped patients with major depression in its first Phase 3 trial, bringing the psychedelic drug closer to potential approval
- DT120 patients experienced a 13.3-point drop on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at six weeks after a single dose, compared to a 5.2-point drop in the placebo group
- By 12 weeks, the treatment effect had waned somewhat but was largely maintained, with DT120 patients showing an 11-point MADRS drop from baseline versus 3.6 points for placebo
- The trial design used a single dose of the pill, a notably different approach from the daily dosing typical of conventional antidepressants
Why it matters: Definium's DT120 cut MADRS scores by 13.3 points at 6 weeks — more than double the 5.2-point placebo drop — with effect largely holding at 12 weeks. A single-dose psychedelic pill maintaining efficacy over three months would distinguish DT120 from daily antidepressants if regulators approve it.
Ask SkimNews
