On Wednesday, the 24th of January, work on a clinical trial will start to investigate the therapeutic effects of psilocybin, or magic mushrooms, on palliative care patients who are experiencing psychological distress due to progressing illnesses. The study aims to assess the effects of psilocybin on patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and atypical Parkinson’s disease, reports Politico.
This is the first time that the European Union (EU) has fully funded research on psychedelics, allocating more than 6.5 million euros from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme.
This clinical trial will aim to extend the promising results previously obtained
in difficult-to-treat depression and terminal cancer patients to a broader patient group, marking an important step forward in psychedelics research.
The University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) in the Netherlands is coordinating the ground-breaking study, which will involve around 100 patients at four sites in the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Denmark.
Patients will participate in several sessions with therapists, but in this study two sessions will involve the use of psilocybin. The initial session will involve a lower dose to get used to the experience, while some participants will receive a placebo.
Lead researcher Robert Schoevers, a psychiatrist at UMCG, highlights the main issue of the study: determining the optimal number of psychedelic trips for the treatment to be effective. He said the aim of the study is
to find out whether psychedelic therapy serves as a one-off solution alongside psychotherapy,
or whether additional sessions are needed thereby learning more about the potential long-term benefits of this approach.
The study protocol, which is currently being developed together with regulators and health technology assessment bodies, is expected to be finalised this year. The study will start in January 2025, with results expected in 2027, according to Politico.
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