US commits up to $4.9 million to prepare ibogaine trials

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced up to $4.9 million for work to prepare ibogaine research and future U.S. clinical trials for post-traumatic stress disorder, including among veterans. The funding, to be provided through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, is for scientific, regulatory and manufacturing preparation, not patient treatment or human-subject research, Kennedy said.

The announcement does not establish that ibogaine is safe or effective for PTSD. Any potential use as a treatment would depend on evidence from clinical trials and regulatory review. The funded work is intended to prepare for those studies, rather than provide the drug to patients.

Kennedy said the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company would work on manufacturing ibogaine in the United States. He said treatment could cost similarly to generic drugs if the drug passes clinical trials and receives approval. The announcement did not specify the clinical trial designs or schedule.

The National Institute of Mental Health has opened a separate $20 million funding opportunity for research into other rapid-acting drugs, including ketamine and psilocybin. The program is...