Psychedelic Substance Ibogaine Being Tested as Potential Anti-Addiction Treatment
As interest in the therapeutic and medical potential of psychedelics in general continues to grow, a laboratory contracted by the Nida Addiction Treatment Discovery program will conduct preclinical tests to determine the pharmacological properties
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It is estimated that about 100,000 people die from drug overdoses in the United States each year. Most of these deaths are related to the use of prescribed and illicit fentanyl - a powerful opioid used as a painkiller. The deadly opioid epidemic in North America has left researchers and policymakers urgently seeking solutions - and one may come from an unlikely source.
Ibogaine is a psychedelic substance derived from the iboga shrub, native to West Africa. The shrub has historically been used as a ritual aid by members of the Bwiti religion in the African country of Gabon. However, a growing body of evidence - both anecdotal and increasingly clinical - suggests that the substance may be useful in combating drug addiction, including heroin and other opioids.
Delix Therapeutics, a Massachusetts-based startup, has a mission to transform non-psychedelic analogs of powerful hallucinogens into medications that can treat a range of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The company will work with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to test its patented version of ibogaine for its potential to treat a variety of substance use disorders.
The co-founder and chief innovation officer of Delix, David E. Olson PhD, stated in a release: "Preclinical results published in Nature last year demonstrated that DLX-7 (one of the company's new patented compounds) reduces alcohol and heroin-seeking behavior, and we are excited to collaborate with NIDA to further evaluate its potential as a new treatment for addiction to a variety of substances and models."
Although ibogaine has proven to be a potentially useful chemical for treating various mental health conditions, side effects such as causing cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and often intense psychedelic experience.
That's why Olson, who is a professor at the University of California, Davis, modified the ibogaine molecule. This modified analog, Delix-7, is non-psychedelic and does not cause cardiac arrhythmia.
As interest in the therapeutic and medical potential of psychedelics in general continues to grow, a laboratory contracted by the Nida Addiction Treatment Discovery program will conduct preclinical tests to determine the pharmacological, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological properties of the Delix compound.
If preclinical studies and animal studies show favorable results, Delix will reportedly seek approval from the US Food and Drug Administration to launch clinical trials in humans.
The trial is the latest in a series of studies aimed at evaluating the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances for the treatment of various mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and addiction.