Psychedelic drugs can work their magic when treating depression

‘The product with therapy had a significant antidepressant effect that was rapid and durable’

‘It was a really intense experience – at times pure bliss, at other times it was really challenging’

PSYCHEDELIC drugs could successfully treat more than half of cases of moderate to severe depression, a landmark study has found.

The study of patients dosed with the plant-based drugs, followed by talking therapy, achieved remission in 57 per cent of cases, at 12 weeks.

Trials involved “short-acting” drugs that give patients a 20-minute psychedelic experience – which can include hallucinations – followed by a 90-minute therapy session.

Psychiatrists said the results of Phase II trials were “really exciting,” inducing “powerful and profound” changes within weeks. The research – the first to compare short-duration psychedelics for depression with a placebo – found that those given the hallucinogenic drug DMT (dimethyltryptamine) saw a significant reduction in depression.

The drug is natural and found in plants and mammal brains. Independent assessment found their depression scores fell by 11 points, against a 3.6 drop on those given a placebo.

When all 34 patients on the trials were prescribed psychedelic drugs, and assessed 12 weeks later, 57 per cent had seen such improvements that they were no longer classed as depressed.

Dr David Erritzoe, clinical psychiatrist at Imperial College London, chief investigator of the study, said the combination of psychedelics with therapy could have a “very exciting” impact on the field of psychiatry.

“It is a totally different paradigm to current treatments; we are talking about a relatively long-lasting effect from one single intervention,” he said.

While the trials examined depression at 12 weeks, further trials will look at how long such changes could be sustained. Dr Erritzoe said such treatment could be particularly beneficial for the one in three with severe depression that resists current drug treatments.

“This could have a powerful and profound impact,” he said.

Dr Carol Routledge, chief medical and scientific officer of Small Pharma, which developed the product SPL026, said: “We are pleased that a significant number of patients benefited from the treatment in our trial. SPL026 with supportive therapy was shown to have a significant antidepressant effect that was rapid and durable, with a remission rate of 57 per cent at three months following a single dose.”

She said the company was now seeking to embark on larger trials.

Leonie Schneider, 46, from London, with a history of depression and PTSD, was among patients taking part in the trial, which began a year ago. She said: “It was a really intense experience – at times it was pure bliss, at other times it was really challenging; there were points where I felt like I was drowning, and struggling to take a breath.

“The therapy is a really important part of it: I had a sense of being held, and that is something I have taken away with me – that things will be okay, even if they aren’t at that moment.”

This month the Duke of Sussex said psychedelic drugs were like “medicine” in dealing with his grief and trauma. “I would never recommend people to do this recreationally,” he added.