FILE - A laboratory technician displays mushrooms that contain psilocybin, a hallucinogenic substance on Thursday, July 13, 2023. (Photographer: Moriah Ratner/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of psilocybin to treat veterans with major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The VA is hoping to pursue innovative solutions for veterans who are not responding positively to existing treatments for their mental health.
PIVOT
Big picture view:
The trial is called Psilocybin Intervention for Veterans Overcoming Treatment-Resistent Depression (PIVOT).
PIVOT is part of a recent executive order that "aims to increase clinical trial participation and accelerate innovative research models and drug approvals for psychedelic drugs," the VA said.
What they're saying:
"Far too many Veterans are living with mental health conditions that don’t respond to available treatments,"said VA Secretary Doug Collins. "Under President Trump, VA is pursuing all avenues to evaluate new treatments and offer meaningful relief for those who have worn the uniform. This clinical trial reflects another step toward this goal."
Where are the trials taking place?
The trial will be conducted in five locations, including:
- Birmingham VA Health Care System and Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center in Alabama
- VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia
- A Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington
Who can enroll?
Dig deeper:
The trial will enroll veterans who have been diagnosed with treatment-resistent major depressive disorder and with or without concurrent PTSD.
The study will compare outcomes between two psilocybin dosage levels and assess participants’ levels of depression before and after treatment, side effects and overall patient-reported depression.
What you can do:
For those who want more information regarding this trial, click here.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from the VA News website and the ClinicalTrials.gov. Website. This story was reported from San Jose.