Ecstasy can one day treat trauma

The illegal party drug has been thought to dampen down PTSD triggers

Ecstasy could one day be used as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The dance drug MDMA is one step away from becoming a licensed medicine for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans, abuse victims and other sufferers in the US.

The illegal party drug, also known as MDMA, has been awarded 'breakthrough status' by the FDA for the treatment of the mental health condition. This means there is substantial evidence the 'medication' may benefit PTSD sufferers and should therefore be developed faster as a potential treatment.

In recent trials, 107 people suffering from PTSD were given three sessions of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. Two months later 61% of no longer had the condition. Twelve months later 68% didn’t. People who suffer from PTSD experience powerful emotional overrides when memories are triggered by as little as a smell or a word. Advocates claim that MDMA softens the emotional reaction to these memories, giving patients the space to work through them with therapists.

Yet, experts are concerned about the risk of bias in such studies as receiving MDMA may interfere with the therapy patients are also getting.

This may be particularly problematic when it comes to the Phase III trials, which compare drugs against the best available treatment and are typically the last step before approval.

The FDA has approved two Phase II trials investigating MDMA in PTSD. Phase II studies assess drug efficacy, safety and dosing. The trials, which will cost around $25million, are funded by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and could finish as soon as 2021.

MDMA's potential in PTSD was first demonstrated in a 2011 US study. Since then, multiple studies have been conducted and, although unpublished, they have been reviewed by the FDA and are 'very good', according to MAPS' executive director Rick Doblin.

Raising the money for the trials is an additional hurdle, with only half of the $25million required being available to date. In the future, MAPS hopes to conduct MDMA-PTSD trials in Europe, as well as investigating the illegal party drug for alcohol addiction.