MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial
Results from the phase 3 placebo-controlled MAPP2 trial show that MDMA-assisted therapy reduces post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and functional impairment in a diverse population with moderate to severe PTSD.
Due to disparities in trauma exposure, gender-diverse and transgender individuals, ethnoracial minorities, first responders, military personnel, veterans and victims of chronic sexual abuse have a disproportionately higher risk of developing PTSD.
Mounting evidence supports substituted phenethylamine 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) as a treatment for PTSD. MDMA, an entactogen that promotes monoamine reuptake inhibition and release (primarily by inducing conformational change of pre-synaptic transporters), effectively modulates fear memory reconsolidation, enhances fear extinction and promotes openness and prosocial behavior.
Source:
Mitchell, J. M., Ot’alora G, M., van der Kolk, B., Shannon, S., Bogenschutz, M., Gelfand, Y., Paleos, C., Nicholas, C. R., Quevedo, S., Balliett, B., Hamilton, S., Mithoefer, M., Kleiman, S., Parker-Guilbert, K., Tzarfaty, K., Harrison, C., de Boer, A., Doblin, R., Yazar-Klosinski, B., & MAPP2 Study Collaborator Group (2023). MDMA-assisted therapy for moderate to severe PTSD: a randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Nature Medicine, 29(10), 2473–2480. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02565-4