President Trump signed an executive order Saturday to fast-track access to medical psychedelic drug research and treatment.
The mandate directs the Food and Drug Administration to expedite its review of “certain psychedelics already designated as breakthrough therapy drugs.”
“Today’s order will ensure that people suffering from debilitating symptoms might finally have a chance to reclaim their lives and lead a happier life,” Mr. Trump said as he signed. “If these turn out to be as good as people are saying, it’s going to have a tremendous impact.”
While the drugs are largely illegal, officials said at the signing ceremony in the Oval Office that this step lays the groundwork to reclassify them after successful clinical trials.
“Research has been going on for quite some time. But, you know, usually with things like this, nothing ever happens, no matter how the research ends up, but we’re changing that,” Mr. Trump said. “This order will clear away unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, improve data sharing among the FDA and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and facilitate fast rescheduling of any psychedelic drugs that become FDA-approved.”
Such drugs include ibogaine, one that military veteran groups say can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Mr. Trump said that the federal government would invest $50 million in ibogaine research.
“We’re also opening a pathway for ibogaine to be administered to desperately ill patients under the right-to-try law,” he said.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, “Millions of Americans living with depression, PTSD, addiction and other conditions do not respond to existing treatments.”
“We owe it to our warfighters and veterans to turn over every stone to alleviate the emotional and mental health blowback from their deployments,” he added.
The executive order will initiate an accelerated research approval under HHS and provide access to new mental health treatments.
“We’re taking this decision, this decisive step to confront one of the most urgent public health challenges facing our nation — the mental health crisis,” Mr. Kennedy said.
Mr. Trump said that some psychedelics have led to “an 80 to 90% reduction in symptoms of depression and anxiety within one month.”
“Can I have some, please?” he joked.
The president was joined by Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, podcaster Joe Rogan and Bryan Hubbard, CEO of Americans for Ibogaine, among others.
