On June 2, MAPS Deputy Director Valerie Mojeiko submitted MAPS new protocol investigating the long-term outcomes of ibogaine treatment for people with opiate addiction for review to the Human Research Review Committee at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS). The study is co-led by University of California, San Diego's Thomas Kingsley Brown, Ph.D., California Institute of Integral Studies' (CIIS) faculty member Meg Jordan Ph.D., R.N, and CIIS graduate student Rishi Karim Gargour, M.A. The study is following patients at Pangea Biomedics in Playas de Tijuana, Mexico. The protocol is designed to follow 20 subjects, but if more funding is obtained we will add an additional 10 subjects to the protocol.

The MAPS clinical research team met during our Psychedelic Science in the 21st Century conference to develop a new ibogaine outcome study. Principal Investigator Valerie Mojeiko and co-investigator Tom Kingsley Brown, Ph.D., will lead the new study. They will collect data from patients who undergo ibogaine treatment for opiate addiction at Pangea Biomedics in Tijuana, Mexico, in order to evaluate the long-term changes that follow ibogaine treatment. The team discussed details of the new protocol, one of which will add random urine tests as another assessment technique.

The previous ibogaine study sponsored by MAPS and led by John Harrison has ended, and we are currently evaluating the data. We are applying insights from our initial study to the design of the new protocol.

As of April 7, 2009, the thirteenth of 30 subjects has been enrolled in the MAPS-sponsored ibogaine outcome study at the Pangea Biomedics Ibogaine Association in Playas de Tijuana, Mexico. The study is being conducted by John Harrison, PsyD Candidate at California Institute for Integral Studies.

From March 20-27, John Harrison attended an international ibogaine conference in Sayulita, Mexico. This invitation-only conference was hosted by "Awakening in The Dream House," an ibogaine treatment clinic located in San Pancho, Mexico. The conference was held in honor of Howard Lotsof, who discovered the 'addiction interrupting' benefits of ibogaine more than 40 years ago. Fifty providers, clinicians, researchers, physicians, artists and journalists from around the world gathered for the conference/celebration. Among the attendees was Ken Alper, MD, who presented on the mechanism of action of ibogaine in the brain. Dr. Alper discussed addiction as pathological learning and emphasized the need for more extensive research.

John discussed MAPS ibogaine outcome study and early findings of his research. He extended invitations to several clinics and treatment providers world-wide to join with MAPS in developing further research into the psychedelic tool, ibogaine, as a treatment for addiction.

This study is fully funded.

Principal Investigator John Harrison, "is heartened by, and grateful for the commitment of [the subjects] to stay connected and make such a vital contribution to this innovative research."

John attended the Boston ibogaine conference, where he presented information about his study design and very preliminary findings, and engaged in question and answers with forum attendees. The forum included many prominent members of the ibogaine movement including organizer Dana Beal, the inimitable Patrick Kroupa, Dr. Carl Anderson, Rocky Caravelli, and many others. MAPS President Rick Doblin PhD closed the conference with an inspiring talk calling on researchers to share information and also an appeal to support this ground-breaking study. Video of Ricks and Johns presentation are available to be viewed online. ]]>