MAPS has been working since it was founded in 1986 to initiate research into the therapeutic use of MDMA. On February 23, 2004, the final approval of Dr. Mithoefer's study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in subjects suffering from treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) marked the culmination of almost eighteen years of struggle and the beginning of our Clinical Plan to develop MDMA into a prescription medicine for the treatment of PTSD. The final experimental session in this study took place on July 18, 2008 and represented the culmination of a $1 million project that has resulted in an outstanding demonstration of the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with treatment-resistant PTSD.

MAPS is also sponsoring a study in Israel into the use of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with treatment-resistant PTSD under the direction of Dr. Moshe Kotler, Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, and former Chief Psychiatrist of the Israeli Defense Forces, and is co-sponsoring a Swiss study into the use of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with treatment-resistant PTSD in association with the Swiss Association for Psycholytic Therapy and under the direction of Dr. Peter Oehen. Both of these studies are expected to be completed before the end of 2009. MAPS is currently working to initiate additional MDMA/PTSD pilot studies in Canada, Spain, France and Jordan.

MAPS' first MDMA/PTSD study was a pilot dose-response study in Spain, initially approved on February 7, 2000 but halted on May 13, 2002 due to political pressure from the Spanish Anti-Drug Authority shortly after the study received positive media attention in Spain. Six subjects had been treated without any persisting side effects and with hints of efficacy. MAPS is working to obtain permission to start a redesigned MDMA/PTSD study in Spain.

MAPS initiated a study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with anxiety associated with advanced-stage cancer at Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital. This study is being conducted by Sponsor/Investigator Dr. Halpern and is funded by a direct donation to McLean from Peter Lewis.

Donations to support MDMA psychotherapy research are needed. Donations can be restricted to any specific study or to our MDMA research in general.

1. Current version of Dr. Michael Mithoefer's MDMA/PTSD study protocol (PDF) and informed consent forms for the study, (PDF) and for Stage 2 (PDF).
2. The Mithoefer MDMA/PTSD study protocol, approved by the FDA, June 14, 2002 (Vol. 1) (pdf)
3. The Mithoefer MDMA/PTSD study protocol, approved by the IRB September 23, 2003, in (word), (html), and (pdf) formats, and the Informed Consent Form, in (word), (html) and (pdf) formats.
4. Protocol Improvements Due to IRB Recommendations (html)
5. A revised treatment manual describing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder in PDF or HTML formats, with revisions reflecting protocol improvements described above.
6. MDMA literature review
7. MDMA literature updates
8. The CAPS document
9. The Impact of Event Scale document
10. The Distress Checklist document
11. The NEO Inventory document