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The Atlantic

The Atlantic

Psychedelic Medicine Has a Therapy Problem

The Atlantic
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83% Informative

The FDA declined to approve MDMA -assisted therapy for PTSD , instead asking the drugmaker Lykos Therapeutics to conduct another clinical trial to better show that the treatment is safe and effective.

The FDA ’s decision, its first on a psychedelic drug, will likely only delay psychedelic medicine’s official debut in mainstream medicine.

Some experts worry that approval might hinge on dropping the therapy component, turning psychedelics into just more pills to pop.

Lykos ’s approach to therapy isn’t the only option in psychedelic medicine.

A good relationship with a therapist might be all that matters for good outcomes, instead of the precise form of therapy.

Many companies with psychedelic drugs in the regulatory pipeline are trying to minimize therapy as much as possible.