There is no denying that psychedelics have long been of interest not only to recreational users of psychoactive substances, but also to scientists, psychiatrists, psychologists and therapists. Psychedelics are of interest to scientists for a number of reasons: they help fight severe forms of depression, treat post-traumatic stress syndrome, support people affected by attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and treat various types of pain, replacing opioid drugs.
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Psychedelics - the hope of modern medicine
Psychoactive substances called psychedelics have been known to mankind since time immemorial. Nowadays, however, they are of great interest not only to scientists trying to discover the broad spectrum of psychedelics' effects on the human mind, but also to pharmaceutical companies. This "psychedelic turn" (as reported by GlobalData Healthcare) is particularly evident in:
- treatment for alcoholism and addiction to other depressants, including opioids, as well as stimulants (SOURCE);
- Treatment of drug-resistant depression;
- releasing post-traumatic stress disorder;
- The treatment of pain (including cluster headaches or neuropathic pain);
- whether to manage symptoms ADHD.
The above calculation, unfortunately, applies mainly to countries such as the US, Canada and Western European countries, because it is there that pharmaceutical companies, subcontractors producing controlled substances, have the opportunity to manufacture drugs based on psychedelic substances such as psilocybin. The fact is that many doctors, especially in the United States, a country digested by the epidemic of opioid addiction, are looking for a way to reduce prescriptions written for powerful painkillers (oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl, etc.).
Psychedelics (and dissociants) - division of substances, legal status, research
Psychedelics are substances that act as serotonin 2A receptor agonists, putting users into altered states of consciousness. Naturally occurring psychedelics include:
- DMT (dimethyltryptamine);
- psilocybin;
- mescaline;
- THC (tetrahydrocannabinol considered an atypical psychedelic that affects cannabinoid receptors, not serotonin receptors).
They can be classified according to their structure:
- Tryptamines (they resemble serotonin in structure);
- Phenylethylamines (similar to epinephrine and norepinephrine);
- ergolines (substances derived from ergot, including LSD).
A separate group consists of dissociatives, which are NMDA receptor antagonists. This category of substances includes, for example, DXM (dextromethorphan), ketamine or esketamine.
The latter substance, esketamine, requires special attention. In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) approved an esketamine-containing preparation, Spravato (Johnson & Johnson), for the treatment of drug-resistant depression, writes GlobalData Healthcare in "Psychedelics: the next trip for CMOs."
A New York-based biotech company, Mind Medicine (MindMed), has developed a drug in which the main active ingredient is LSD. The drug is in the second phase of testing (comparing the effects of the drug and placebo), and is expected to treat severe forms of depressive disorders, as well as ADHD, cluster headaches and generalized anxiety syndrome.
The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), or Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (own translation), is conducting research (Phase III trials) on MDMA to conclusively prove its effectiveness in treating post-traumatic stress disorder. The research is being conducted in the US and Canada.
In Denmark (Braxia Center, Copenhagen), on the other hand, the substance under study is psilocybin, which is being touted as a route to treating drug-resistant depression or alcohol addiction.
Psychedelics as drugs - NGO action, change in legal status, legalization of production, universal access
There's no denying that the so-called "war on drugs" declared in 1986 by U.S. President Ronald Reagan has had a not inconsiderable impact on curbing research on psychedelics. It also made many substances subject to all sorts of prohibitions, not only in the US, by the way, as the country also exerted pressure on other countries of the world. Possession of substances such as psilocybin (contained in hallucinogenic mushrooms), among others, became a crime or a more severely punishable offense.
However, a global trend of reversing the criminalization of various psychoactive substances, including, of course, psilocybin, is becoming apparent. In January 2022, the International Therapeutic Psilocybin Rescheduling Initiative, an association working to remove psilocybin from the list of narcotics recognized in a country (not just the US) as drugs, the possession and commercial circulation of which are banned in all forms, began its activities.
On January 10, 2022, there was a conference organized by Biotech Showcase entitled "Psychedelics: Once Stigmatized, Are Now the Newest Therapeutics on the Block for Mental Health".
The conference said that even if drugs containing psychedelic substances are approved, their use may be hampered for a number of reasons. These drugs may not be widely available to many potential patients. Establishing an averaged treatment regimen that meets the needs of all patients is also a problem. The treatment effects themselves can vary significantly from one patient to another, and treatment cannot be based solely on the use of the drug. Psychotherapy is needed first and foremost.
All of the above factors make the use of drugs containing psychedelic substances an extremely complex issue. Both at the level of academia, research and testing, and at the level of production of such drugs.
Summary - the future of psychedelic drugs
The future is now, as the saying goes. It is especially valid when it comes to drugs containing psychoactive substances called psychedelics, as there are already 138 preparations containing psychedelics available worldwide. Four of them are in phase III clinical trials, but the potential market for psychedelic drugs could be huge.
There are nearly 30 million recorded cases of people struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder worldwide, nearly 120 million suffer from ADHD. A huge part of the population is made up of people suffering from depression or affected by personality disorders, plenty are looking for a way to escape opioid addiction. Drugs containing psychedelic substances can be of invaluable help to them.