HealthQuiet 21d · day 21
New Zealand approves MDMA for treating severe PTSD
New Zealand becomes only the second country after Australia to authorize pharmaceutical-grade MDMA for clinical use in psychedelic-assisted therapy.
What to know
- New Zealand becomes only the second country worldwide to approve MDMA for clinical psychiatric use, following Australia's 2023 authorization.
- Treatment combines MDMA with psychotherapy in controlled clinical settings with authorized psychiatrists; patients cannot take drugs home.
- Approval draws on Phase 3 trial data showing 67–71% of severe PTSD patients no longer met diagnostic criteria, though the US FDA rejected the therapy in 2024 citing insufficient safety evidence.
- Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour frames approval as part of New Zealand's commitment to innovative psychedelic-assisted treatments for mental health conditions.
“88% of participants with severe PTSD who received MDMA-assisted therapy showed clinically significant improvement, and 67% no longer met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.”
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, Research organization · Euronews ↗
David Seymour New Zealand Deputy Prime MinisterDr Gary Wynn Wellington psychiatristDr Tom Paterson Auckland psychiatristMedsafe New Zealand medicines regulator
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