UTAH – A drug banned for decades could prove a trippy anxiety medication. A new clinical trial suggests that a single dose of an LSD-derived drug could help ease symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
The phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated a drug called MM120 in 198 adults diagnosed with GAD. Researchers tested four different dose levels and measured changes using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. MM120 is an investigational drug being developed by the company MindMed. It is a pharmaceutical form of LSD (lysergide D-tartrate) designed for controlled medical use in clinical trials.
At week four, participants who received MM120 showed a statistically significant, dose-dependent reduction in anxiety compared to those given a placebo. The strongest effect was seen in participants with moderate to severe GAD, where a single dose produced notable improvements in symptoms.
The findings add to growing evidence that psychedelic compounds may play a role in mental health treatment. Recent studies have explored psilocybin, found in “magic mushrooms,” for depression, and MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder, with both showing promising results. Experts caution that while early data is encouraging, further research is needed before these treatments can become widely available.
Reid Robison, MD of Cedar Clinical Research, in Draper, Utah) and Chief Clinical Officer at Numinus along with Dr. Maurizio Fava, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital, were listed as lead authors of the MM120 study, titled, “Single Treatment With MM120 (Lysergide) in Generalized Anxiety Disorder,” which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) (JAMA Psychiatry).You can read an excerpt from the study here.
Investigators plan to continue clinical trials of MM120 to further evaluate its safety, effectiveness and long-term outcomes in patients with anxiety disorders.
