Updates related to the Australian MDMA/PTSD study can be found below:
MP-11
February 22, 2012
Australia: Ethics Committee Rejects Study Protocol, Researchers Prepare Response
On February 22, 2012, an Australian ethics committee rejected the protocol for our planned Australian study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. The committee raised issues relating to study design that MAPS and the Australian research team believe can be successfully addressed, and that in some cases represented misunderstandings on the part of the reviewers. MAPS and the Australian psychedelic research group Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine (PRISM) are now preparing a reply. We are hopeful that a version of the protocol can eventually be approved.
On February 7, 2012, the protocol for our planned Australian study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD was submitted to an independent Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). Subjects in this study will receive two experimental sessions instead of three (as in our U.S. flagship study), enabling us to compare the results with our upcoming Israeli study and helping us to determine whether two or three sessions is more efficient for use in our future Phase 3 studies. Once HREC approves the protocol, it will be submitted to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for review.
As in our ongoing study in U.S. veterans, this study will compare the effectiveness of a full dose (125 mg) and a low dose (30 mg) of MDMA in combination with psychotherapy. Unlike our U.S. veterans study, this study will omit the medium dose (75 mg) in order to determine whether we can achieve an effective double-blind with a two-arm (low and medium dose) study.
One of the ways we are expanding our capacity to conduct international clinical trials is by working closely with international affiliates. MAPS is collaborating with the newly formed Australian non-profit organization Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine (PRISM) to design, fund, obtain approval for, and conduct this first-ever Australian study of the therapeutic application of MDMA.
Protocol Design Completed for New Australian Study of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for PTSD
On January 8, 2012, our clinical team finalized the basic design of the protocol for our planned Australian study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. The study, which will be led by Clinical Investigators Dr. Stuart Saker, MBBS, and Fiona MacKenzie, MPsych(Clinical), will compare the effectiveness of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for 12 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD using two different dosages of MDMA: a full dose of 125mg (with a supplemental 62.5mg) and a low dose of 30mg (with a supplemental 15mg). Seven subjects will be allocated to the full dose condition, with the remaining five to the low dose condition. Subjects in this study will receive two experimental sessions instead of three, enabling us to compare the results with our upcoming Israeli study and helping us to determine whether two or three sessions is more efficient for use in our Phase 3 studies. The lead investigators both completed MAPS’ training course for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy researchers, which took place in Israel last January. The protocol will be submitted to an Independent Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) by February 8, and to the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) once it has been approved. MAPS has pledged $25,000 to this study, which the researchers already matched with their own $75,000. We are now offering an additional $25,000 if they can raise an additional $75,000 in matching funds.
