MDMA-Assisted Therapy Shows Promise for Treating Diverse Adults with PTSD in Phase 3 Trial
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MDMA-assisted therapy (MDMA-AT) significantly reduced PTSD symptoms and improved functioning compared to placebo therapy in a phase 3 trial of 104 adults with moderate to severe PTSD.
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Participants were ethnoracially diverse, with about half identifying as non-White. MDMA-AT showed consistent benefits across this diverse sample.
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86% of the MDMA-AT group were responders after treatment versus 69% on placebo. Over 70% no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria with MDMA-AT.
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MDMA-AT was generally well tolerated. Common side effects like muscle tightness and nausea were mostly mild and transient. No new safety issues emerged.
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This trial confirms and extends the findings on MDMA-AT for PTSD from an earlier phase 3 trial, supporting further evaluation of this treatment approach.