Overview
- The FDA approved the first human study in the United States of an ibogaine-based medicine, opening testing of a derivative as a possible treatment for alcohol use disorder.
- The trial will evaluate noribogaine hydrochloride, reported to be developed by DemeRx NB, as researchers assess safety and early signs of benefit.
- President Donald Trump’s recent executive order directed agencies to speed psychedelic research and singled out ibogaine, setting the stage for faster reviews and new funding.
- Regulators also issued investigational clearance that allows ibogaine to be shipped to U.S. researchers and granted priority review vouchers to psychedelic programs for depression and PTSD.
- Ibogaine remains a Schedule I drug and carries known risks such as dangerous heart rhythm problems, which is why experts call for hospital screening and tightly controlled trials as demand grows, including from veterans who have sought treatment in Mexico.