President Donald Trump is giving renewed attention to the psychedelic drug ibogaine.
In April, alongside veterans and podcaster Joe Rogan, Trump signed an executive order directing the government to accelerate research into psychedelic treatments and allocated tens of millions of dollars in federal funding. The executive order singled out one compound by name — ibogaine — and within days, the Food and Drug Administration began its first U.S.-based trials of an ibogaine-derived drug.
Now, Trump is bringing up the drug again and the “progress” surrounding it in a post shared to Truth Social.
“Today I am announcing that Secretary Kennedy has received a Historic Gift from the University of Miami, who has given the Federal Government its original 1994 Ibogaine Investigational New Drug application,” the president wrote Aug. 18 on the social media platform. “This will give everyone direct access to the foundational FDA authorization to accelerate its development as a medical treatment in the U.S.”
He added, “This adds to the INCREDIBLE PROGRESS since April, including huge amounts of HHS research funding, collaboration between HHS and VA, FDA guidance, and more.” USA TODAY has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services for comment.
For those unfamiliar, here’s what to know about ibogaine.
What Is Ibogaine?
Ibogaine is a powerful psychoactive compound that has been used for decades to treat substance use disorders.
The drug’s “most striking benefit is its ability to stop opioid withdrawal and eliminate cravings, often after a single session, something no currently approved medication can claim to do,” Joseph Barsuglia, a psychologist who has studied ibogaine for over a decade, previously told USA TODAY.
Derived from a Central African shrub, the drug’s ability to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings was uncovered by accident, when Howard Lotsof, a 19-year-old addicted to heroin, tried ibogaine out of curiosity in 1962.
Lotsof and his friends were shocked to find that his cravings had vanished. Lotsof spent the rest of his life as an advocate, patenting its use for addiction treatment in 1985 and campaigning for further research, though an FDA-approved clinical trial never materialized due to funding disputes.
Ibogaine is illegal in several countries, including the United States and much of Europe. Many Americans travel to places such as Mexico for ibogaine treatments, where it can be used legally.
How Does Ibogaine Work?
It isn’t completely understood how ibogaine works, but scientists know it affects the brain’s reward and pleasure system.
By triggering the release of a natural growth factor in the brain and modulating neural pathways associated with addiction and reward, ibogaine restores healthy dopamine function and reduces cravings, Barsuglia said.
Ibogaine works differently from other opioid addiction treatments, such as methadone or Suboxone, which require daily dosing to be effective, Barsuglia said. It appears to repair the underlying brain circuitry damaged by addiction.
Jonathan Dickinson, CEO of Ambio Life Sciences, which runs ibogaine clinics in Mexico and Malta, said ibogaine makes the opioid network in the body more sensitive. For example, a person with a high opioid tolerance would see reduced tolerance under the drug.
It also facilitates repair and regeneration of parts of the brain that have been damaged, according to Dickinson.
But a person taking ibogaine could experience an altered state of mind, including hallucinations. This experience is “intense and demanding — typically 18 to 36 hours of deep hallucinations and emotional upheaval such that recreational use is essentially unheard of,” Barsuglia said. “It is not a drug anyone takes for a good time.”
Why Is Ibogaine Not Approved in the U.S., and Could That Change?
Since 1970, ibogaine has been classified as a Schedule I drug, a designation for substances with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
One reason ibogaine has struggled to win approval in the past is a lack of financial incentive, Barsuglia said. Because ibogaine is a natural compound that can’t be patented and typically only needs to be administered once, “pharmaceutical companies have little prospect of recouping the enormous cost of running FDA-approved clinical trials.”
But there are signs this could change. In addition to the recent ibogaine executive order and FDA trials, several states in recent years, including Mississippi, Oklahoma and Tennessee, have passed legislation funding ibogaine trials.
Reporting by Sara Moniuszko and Gavin Escott, USA TODAY / USA TODAY. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.
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