FDA Committee ‘Completely Lost Sight Of The Big Picture’ Says Retired Lieutenant General Urging Approval On MDMA For PTSD
“Unfortunately, the Committee completely lost sight of the big picture,” said retired Lieutenant General of the US Marine Corps, Martin R. Steele. He was commenting on this week’s recommendation by a committee of advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration against the approval of MDMA-assisted therapy as a treatment for PTSD.
Steele is also a co-founder of a non-profit policy and advocacy organization dedicated to advancing safe and equitable access to psychedelic therapies to improve mental health and prevent deaths of despair, Reason for Hope and founder and president of the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition – a member-based organization under Reason for Hope that focuses on increasing access to psychedelic therapies for veterans.
A joint statement from Reason for Hope and Veterans Mental Health Leadership Coalition expresses profound disappointment with the FDA Advisory Committee’s vote against MDMA also known as ecstasy. MDMA has been studied for over a decade as a potential treatment for mental health conditions. The therapy in question involved administering MDMA capsules to patients undergoing psychotherapy sessions with a licensed professional. The vote is, however, not binding on the FDA, and the final decision is expected in August.
No New FDA-Approved Drugs For PTSD In Over 20 Years
“It is hard to describe how tragic and heart wrenching this vote was …