THE INDEPENDENT – A pharmaceutical form of the hallucinogenic drug LSD could offer a significant new treatment for severe anxiety, with a recent study suggesting a single 100 microgram dose may alleviate symptoms for weeks.
Experts have described the findings as “potentially paradigm-shifting” for individuals suffering from generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).
The research focused on MM120, a newly developed, pharmaceutically optimised dissolvable LSD tablet.
The trial investigated its impact on patients diagnosed with GAD, a prevalent mental health condition that causes persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life.
Those affected often experience symptoms including difficulty sleeping, muscle tension, gastrointestinal issues, heart palpitations, and heightened irritability.
Currently, GAD treatment in the UK typically involves talking therapies or antidepressant medications, such as SSRIs.
This phase 2b study, spearheaded by MM120 developer MindMed and published in the journal JAMA, enrolled nearly 200 patients aged between 18 and 74 who had a GAD diagnosis.
Anxiety levels were measured using a Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) score after a week, two weeks, four weeks, eight weeks and 12 weeks.
Clinicians also rated anxiety severity using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) …
