Phase 2 Trials of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD Near Completion; Preparations Begin for Phase 3
Over 230 people in 26 countries have registered to host their own Global Psychedelic Dinner
March 11, 2016
Dear friends and supporters,
This year, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) celebrates 30 years of psychedelic and medical marijuana research and education. Thanks to the work we’ve accomplished together, psychedelics are no longer the taboo subject they once were, being increasingly recognized as legitimate tools for scientific discovery, therapeutic insight, spiritual exploration, and personal growth.
This spring, we’ll meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to plan the crucial Phase 3 clinical trials required to make MDMA-assisted psychotherapy an approved treatment option for people suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Last month, our clinical research team and lead therapists began reviewing applications from potential Phase 3 researchers after receiving nearly 250 applicants from 10 countries. We anticipate starting Phase 3 in early 2017. Learn about our upcoming Therapist Training Program.
April is right around the corner, so now’s the time to register to host a Global Psychedelic Dinner, or find a dinner happening in your area, to help us raise $400,000 for our purchase of one kilogram of pharmaceutical grade (GMP) MDMA for Phase 3 clinical trials and other research around the world. Donate now to help us meet our $33,000 community challenge!
Tickets are also going fast for our 30th Anniversary Banquet and Celebration on April 17 in Oakland, California. PLUS: We are excited to announce that the Celebration will include a special guest performance by electronic music pioneer Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method, with live projections by Android Jones.
In the March 2016 edition of the MAPS Email Newsletter, you’ll learn:
- The final blinded experimental treatment in our Phase 2 research program takes place in our Israeli study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD
- The final participant receives their last blinded experimental treatment in our study of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in adults on the autism spectrum.
- Study participants speak with KPIX 5/CBS San Francisco Bay Area about their experience in our ongoing study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness
- MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., gives a talk at Google in New York City about psychedelics, non-profit research, and Burning Man
Don’t forget to stay in touch on Facebook, Twitter (now @MAPS), YouTube, reddit, Tumblr, Pinterest, Google+, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Thank you for being part of the psychedelic science community and helping create safe spaces for the beneficial uses of psychedelics and marijuana.
always upwards,
Brad Burge
MAPS Director of Communications and Marketing
Contents
Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Therapy
1 Israel: Last Participant Receives Final Experimental Treatment
2 Boulder: Two More Participants Complete Long-Term Follow-Up Interviews
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults
3Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults: Final Participant Treated
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness
4 Marin: Study Participants Tell Their Stories on KPIX/CBS 5 San Francisco
Medical Marijuana Research
5 Marijuana for PTSD: Dr. Sue Sisley Speaks to American Legion about Barriers to Research
Support MAPS
6 Host a Global Psychedelic Dinner This April
7 February Giving Report: 2016, The Stepping Stone to Phase 3
Media
8 U.S. News and World Report, CBS, ABC, and more…
MAPS Store
9 NEW Therapy with Substance by Dr. Friederike Meckel Fisher
10NEW LSD: Highway to Mental Health by Dr. Milan Hausner
Events
11MAPS 30th Anniversary Banquet and Celebration: April 17, 2016, Oakland, CA
12 Women’s Visionary Congress New York Salon: March 11-13, 2016, New York City
13 NED-X: The MDMA Edition: March 13, 2016, San Francisco, CA
14 Global Ibogaine Conference: March 14-16, 2016, Tepoztlán, Mexico
15 Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelics Research: June 3-5, 2016, Amsterdam
16Sumiruna Awakenings Conference: June 23-26, 2016, Bucharest, Romania
17 Psychedelic Science 2017: April 19-24, 2017, Oakland, CA
Study participants speak with KPIX 5/CBS San Francisco Bay Area about how receiving MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in a MAPS-sponsored trial helped them process and overcome anxiety associated with life-threatening illness (February 26, 2016). Watch…
Treating PTSD with MDMA-Assisted Therapy
Israel: Last Participant Receives Final Experimental Treatment
On January 31, 2016, the tenth and final subject received their last blinded experimen
tal treatment session in our Israeli Phase 2 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. In addition to being the final blinded experimental session in this study, it was also the final blinded experimental session in Phase 2 of MAPS’ plan to develop MDMA-assisted psychotherapy into a legal treatment for PTSD. Led by Principal Investigator Moshe Kotler, M.D., this Phase 2 study has treated 10 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD from any cause. Once the final evaluations are complete, we will gather data for inclusion in an international meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of PTSD. Learn more…
| $509,000estimated study cost | $92,000raised to date | $417,000still needed |
Donate Nowhelp fund this study |
Boulder: Two More Participants Complete Long-Term Follow-Up Interviews
On January 21 and February 26, 2016, the 17th and 18th participants completed their 12-month long-term follow-up interviews in our Phase 2 study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for 23 subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD in Boulder, Colorado. All subjects have now completed active study participation. Long-term follow-up data will provide additional information to guide the design of our upcoming Phase 3 trials. Study participant Hania Withem will present a brief address at MAPS’ upcoming 30th Anniversary Banquet and Celebration on April 17 at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland, Calif. (tickets available now). The final results will be prepared for publication in the first half of 2016, with publication expected later in 2016. Learn more…
| $771,000estimated study cost | $771,000raised to date | Funding complete |
Donate Nowhelp fund more research |
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults
Social Anxiety in Autistic Adults: Final Participant Treated
On February 27, 2016, the 11th and final participant received their last blinded experimental session in our
ongoing study of MDMA-assisted therapy for social anxiety in adults on the autism spectrum. Sponsored by MAPS, this is a collaborative study between MAPS and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, with blood plasma biomarker analysis conducted by researchers at Stanford University. “During the actual drug-assisted treatment sessions, both structured and unstructured tasks will be employed, including but not limited to listening to preselected music, working with art supplies, writing in journals, silent introspection, and engaging in rapport building interactions with therapists,” write the researchers in the March 2015 article published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry. “In addition, subjects will complete the TASIT, which is an interactive, video-based assessment of social inference skills. The co-therapists, always one male and one female to manage potential transference during therapy, will emphasize creating and communicating a setting of safety and support for the subject during periods of inner focus.” Learn more…
| $400,000estimated study cost | $13,000raised to date $15,000raised by partners | $372,000still needed |
Donate Nowhelp fund this study |
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness
Marin: Study Participants Tell Their Stories on KPIX/CBS 5 San Francisco
 |
On February 26, 2016, four participants from our ongoing study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for anxiety associated with life-threatening illness in Marin, Calif., described their experience in the study for a special segment on KPIX/CBS 5 San Francisco Bay Area. The study participants detail how their experiences receiving MDMA-assisted psychotherapy in a controlled clinical environment helped them process and overcome their anxieties. “It opens you up to yourself and in the right conditions, in a protected environment with supportive people in a safe place, I think it’s a tremendous tool,” explains study participant Andy Gold. Watch the interviews | Learn more…
| $627,000estimated study cost | $234,000raised to date | $393,000still needed |
Donate Nowhelp fund this study |
Medical Marijuana Research
Marijuana for PTSD: Dr. Sue Sisley Speaks to American Legion about Barriers to Research
 |
On February 20, 2016, Sue Sisley, M.D., gave a presentation to commissioners of the American Legion in Washington, D.C., about MAPS’ efforts to initiate our clinical trial of medical marijuana for PTSD in U.S. veterans. The talk, titled “Barriers to Researching Medicinal Marijuana,” was presented to the American Legion’s Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, TBI and PTSD Committee, as part of their 2016 conference. “I have heard great feedback from the American Legion commissioners who attended saying they felt that it was incredibly successful,” reports Dr. Sisley. “They did not believe any issue related to marijuana would be so warmly embraced. They kept thanking me for opening their eyes to a very legitimate injustice of science being shackled by politics.” Learn more…
Learn more about current and upcoming research at maps.org.
Support MAPS
Host a Global Psychedelic Dinner This April
DOUBLE YOUR GIFT! All gifts to the Global Psychedelic Dinners are now being matched $1-for-$1 thanks to a generous $33,000 community challenge gift. Help make the most of this incredible opportunity—double your impact now!
Over 230 people in 26 countries have registered to host their own Global Psychedelic Dinner! By hosting your own Global Psychedelic Dinner this April, you’ll join people around the world in gathering your community, hosting an open, personal conversation about psychedelics and psychedelic experiences, spreading the word, and helping raise $400,000 for MAPS’ purchase of one kilogram of pharmaceutical grade (GMP) MDMA for our Phase 3 trials of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You’ll be helping reduce stigma and enhance public understanding of the risks and beneficial uses of psychedelics. Register to host a Global Psychedelic Dinner and set up your online fundraising page to get started! Donate (x2) | Register to host a dinner…
February Giving Report: 2016, The Stepping Stone to Phase 3
In February 2016, MAPS received nearly $1,600,000 in donations and pledges from over 220 donors. Already, our worldwide supporters are anticipating the conclusion of our international series of Phase 2 studies of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD, looking forward to Phase 3, the final step before FDA approval. We send our gratitude to all who generously supported MAPS last month, including:
General Support
- Moshe Tov Kreps ($500,000 pledge)
- Timothy Butcher ($50,000 bequest)
- Anonymous ($40,000)
- Mai Family Foundation ($25,000)
- Robert J. Barnhart ($15,000 pledge)
- Ian Brown ($11,000)
- Bailey Gimbel ($5,000)
- Riverstyx Foundation ($2,500)
- Sam Hummel, Jr. ($1,000)
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD (Phase 3 Trials)
- Moshe Tov Kreps ($500,000 pledge for Israeli study)
- Riverstyx Foundation ($300,000 pledge)
Phase 3 GMP MDMA
- John Balquist ($1,200)
Phase 3 Therapist Training
- Peggy Dulany ($200,000 pledge)
- Sue & David Rockefeller ($100,000 pledge)
MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Anxiety Associated with Life-Threatening Illness
- Riverstyx Foundation ($40,000)
The Zendo Project
- Riverstyx Foundation ($9,500)
ICEERS—Ayahuasca Defense Fund
- Moshe Tov Kreps ($25,000)
MAPS relies on the generosity of individual donors to achieve our mission. Psychedelic science is again being conducted under federal guidelines, but no funding for psychedelic therapy research is yet available from governments or major foundations. Learn how to include MAPS in your will or estate plans.
Media
U.S. News and World Report, CBS, ABC, and more…
FEATURED
PRESS RELEASE
Global Psychedelic Dinners Bring Communities Together to Make MDMA a Legal Medicine
MAPS | February 17, 2016
FEATURED
KPIX/CBS 5 San Francisco Bay Area
Patients Legally Take Ecstasy While Receiving Therapy In Marin County
Emily Turner | February 26, 2016
FEATURED
Talks at Google
Rick Doblin on Psychedelics, Non-Profit Research, and Burning Man
Talks at Google | February 7, 2016
U.S. News and World Report
Want to Legalize Medical MDMA? Attend a "Psychedelic Dinner"
Steven Nelson | February 18, 2016
Your EDM
MAPS Wants You To Host A “Psychedelic Dinner” To Help Legalize Medical MDMA
Matthew Meadow | February 18, 2016
Thump
A Nonprofit is Raising $400,000 for a Kilo of MDMA by Hosting “Psychedelic Dinner” Parties
Gigen Mammoser | March 1, 2016
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ABC 7/The Denver Channel
MDMA Could Be Legal Before You Think
Russell Haythorn | March 1, 2016
Complex
Could MDMA Save Your Relationship?
Mike Sheffield | February 17, 2016
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Phoenix Business Journal
Ousted UA Professor Finds Joint for Medical Marijuana Study
Angela Gonzales | February 17, 2016
New York Daily News
Combat PTSD with Psychedelic Drugs? The VA or Nonprofit
Rick Doblin and Brandon Friedman | February 15, 2016
Explore MAPS in the Media for more psychedelic and medical marijuana research news.
MAPS Store
NEW Therapy with Substance by Dr. Friederike Meckel Fisher
 |
Paperback | 224 pages | Muswell Hill Press, 2015
During a short window of legal opportunity in Switzerland in the 1990s, Dr. Fischer began using psychedelics to assist the progress of her patients. This book is a description of her use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: the group work, the technical approach, the substances themselves, and how to work with them.
$24.95 | Now available
NEW LSD: Highway to Mental Health by Dr. Milan Hausner
 |
Paperback | 300 pages | ASC Books, 2009
Behind the “Iron Curtain” preventing psychedelic research at the time, psychiatrist Dr. Milan Hausner used LSD in psychotherapy for 20 years while he was director of a psychiatric clinic in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). In the course of Dr. Hausner’s work, the clinic he established gained international recognition as the largest facility of its kind, supervising over 3,000 therapeutic sessions with LSD involving more than 300 patients.
$18.95 | Now available
Learn about psychedelic harm reduction by signing up for the Zendo Project Email Newsletter, and following the Zendo Project on Facebook and Twitter.
Events
MAPS 30th Anniversary Banquet and Celebration: April 17, 2016, Oakland, CA
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: We are excited to announce that the Celebration will include a special guest performance by electronic music pioneer Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method, with live projections by Android Jones.
Join MAPS and the global psychedelic community on April 17, 2016, at the magnificent Scottish Rite Center in Oakland, California, celebrating three decades of advancements in psychedelic research and therapy. We’ll build the future of psychedelic medicine with a fundraiser to support MAPS’ $400,000 purchase of one kilogram of MDMA for clinical trials around the world, including MAPS’ Phase 3 studies to make MDMA-assisted psychotherapy a legal prescription treatment for PTSD.
The Banquet includes an exquisite buffet dinner, a cello performance by Cello Joe, and addresses from leading psychedelic researchers, participants in MAPS-sponsored research, forward-thinking philanthropists, visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey, and others. The Celebration begins after dinner with keynote address from MAPS Founder and Executive Director Rick Doblin, Ph.D., and continues with a multimedia performance by internationally renowned artist Android Jones and Phadroid, a performance of “The Hidden Code” by DJ Spooky, and a special guest performance by Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method. Sponsorships and group rates | Reserve your tickets now…
Women’s Visionary Congress New York Salon: March 11-13, 2016, New York City
The Women’s Visionary Congress will hold its first annual salon in New York City, entitled “Integrating Visionary Experiences.” The Salon will be preceded by a party on Friday, March 11, at the Rubin Museum. The Salon on Saturday, March 12, will feature presentations by research scientist Katherine MacLean, Ph.D., psychiatrist Julie Holland, M.D., and painter and social sculptor Allyson Grey. The Salon will be followed on the evening of Saturday, March 12, by a visionary storytelling gathering co-hosted by WVC and Psymposia. The salon will conclude on Sunday
, March 13, with a tea party and immersive art experience in Central Park. People of all genders welcome. Register…
NED-X: The MDMA Edition: March 13, 2016, San Francisco, CA
MAPS Clinical Research Scientist Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Ph.D., will speak about research into the use of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for a variety of medical conditions. Register…
Global Ibogaine Conference: March 14-16, 2016, Tepoztlán, Mexico
The 2016 Global Ibogaine Conference will convene experts from around the world to discuss ibogaine therapy, the climate of global drug policy, and the sustainability and traditional uses of Tabernanthe iboga. Speakers will include MAPS-sponsored ibogaine researcher Thomas Kingsley Brown, Ph.D. Register…
Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelics Research: June 3-5, 2016, Amsterdam
MAPS is a proud sponsor of the third international Interdisciplinary Conference on Psychedelics Research, organized by the OPEN Foundation. During this three-day event, international researchers from a wide range of academic disciplines will present their latest results and advances in scientific research on psychedelics. ICPR is a multidisciplinary, strictly scientific conference featuring the most current research on psychedelic substances. Register…
Sumiruna Awakenings Conference: June 23-26, 2016, Bucharest, Romania
As the first Eastern European conference about expanded states of consciousness and visionary art, the Sumiruna Conference brings together some of the world’s leading authors, visionaries, artists, researchers, and teachers to Romania, to discuss what can be gained and to share the latest research and techniques for exploring consciousness. Learn more and register…
Psychedelic Science 2017: April 19-24, 2017, Oakland, CA
Save the date! Psychedelic Science is coming back to the San Francisco Bay Area. The conference will return to the Oakland Marriott City Center in California from April 19-24, 2017. The conference will feature the latest findings in the psychedelic research community and is expected to sell out early. Ticket sales, as well as opportunities to participate, will be announced soon. For past conference information, speaker videos, and more from Psychedelic Science 2013, visit psychedelicscience.org.