Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression

TLDR

Psilocybin is being studied for use in treatment‑resistant depression. In a phase 2 double‑blind trial, adults with treatment‑resistant depression received a single dose of proprietary synthetic psilocybin (25 mg, 10 mg, or 1 mg control) with psychological support, and the primary endpoint was change in MADRS score at week 3. At week 3, the 25‑mg group showed a mean MADRS reduction of 12.0 versus 5.4 in the 1‑mg group, a significant difference of −6.6 (95 % CI −10.2 to −2.9; P < 0.01).

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psilocybin is being studied for use in treatment-resistant depression. METHODS: In this phase 2 double-blind trial, we randomly assigned adults with treatment-resistant depression to receive a single dose of a proprietary, synthetic formulation of psilocybin at a dose of 25 mg, 10 mg, or 1 mg (control), along with psychological support. The primary end point was the change from baseline to week 3 in the total score on the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS; range, 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating more severe depression). Secondary end points included response at week 3 (≥50% decrease from baseline in the MADRS total score), remission at week 3 (MADRS total score ≤10), and sustained response at 12 weeks (meeting response criteria at week 3 and all subsequent visits). RESULTS: A total of 79 participants were in the 25-mg group, 75 in the 10-mg group, and 79 in the 1-mg group. The mean MADRS total score at baseline was 32 or 33 in each group. Least-squares mean changes from baseline to week 3 in the score were -12.0 for 25 mg, -7.9 for 10 mg, and -5.4 for 1 mg; the difference between the 25-mg group and 1-mg group was -6.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], -10.2 to -2.9; P