MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy
Phase 3 Trials: FDA Grants Breakthrough Therapy Designation for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD, Agrees on Special Protocol Assessment
Our highest priority project is funding clinical trials of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a tool to assist psychotherapy for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Preliminary studies have shown that MDMA in conjunction with psychotherapy can help people overcome PTSD, and possibly other disorders as well. MDMA is known for increasing feelings of trust and compassion towards others, which could make an ideal adjunct to psychotherapy for PTSD.
We are studying whether MDMA-assisted psychotherapy can help heal the psychological and emotional damage caused by sexual assault, war, violent crime, and other traumas. We are also studying MDMA-assisted therapy for autistic adults with social anxiety, and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety related to life-threatening illnesses.
In MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, MDMA is only administered a few times, unlike most medications for mental illnesses which are often taken daily for years, and sometimes forever.
MDMA is not the same as "Ecstasy" or "molly." Substances sold on the street under these names may contain MDMA, but frequently also contain unknown and/or dangerous adulterants. In laboratory studies, pure MDMA has been proven sufficiently safe for human consumption when taken a limited number of times in moderate doses.
MAPS is undertaking a roughly $25 million plan to make MDMA into a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved prescription medicine by 2021, and is currently the only organization in the world funding clinical trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. For-profit pharmaceutical companies are not interested in developing MDMA into a medicine because the patent for MDMA has expired. The idea of using MDMA to assist psychotherapy of any kind for any specific clinical indication has long been in the public domain.
Download the brochure.
Learn about our MDMA Therapy Training Program.
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Learn about MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in autistic adults at mdma-autism.org.
MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD: MAPS-Sponsored Clinical Trials
Ongoing Studies
- MDMA and Startle Testing Study (Atlanta, Georgia)
- Study Timeline - U.S. Therapist Training Study (Boulder, Colorado, and Charleston, South Carolina)
- U.S. Therapist Training Study Timeline - MDMA + Cognitive-Behavioral Conjoint Therapy Study (Charleston, South Carolina)
- Conjoint Therapy Study Timeline
Completed Studies
- Israeli Study (Beer Yaakov, Israel)
- Israeli Study Timeline - U.S. Boulder Study (Boulder, Colorado)
- U.S. Boulder Study Timeline - U.S. Veterans Study (Charleston, South Carolina)
- U.S. Veterans Study Timeline - Canadian Study (Vancouver, BC)
- Canadian Study Timeline - U.S. Proof of Principle Study (Charleston, South Carolina)
- U.S. Proof of Principle Study Timeline - Swiss Study (Soluthurn, Switzerland)
- Swiss Study Timeline - Relapse Study (Charleston, South Carolina)
- Relapse Study Timeline
Planned Studies
Other Studies
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults
Completed Study
MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness
All Studies
More MDMA Resources
