AGI – La psilocybin, the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushroomsmay soon be approved for the treatment of depression by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which could benefit millions of patients, scientists from Emory University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of California, Berkeley, said in a paper published in the journal Psychedelics, published by Genomic Press.
The team, led by Syed Fayzan Rab, estimated the number of people who could benefit from this alternative therapy. Specifically, the research team generated initial estimates of the potential demand for psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression in the United States. Then, by analyzing data from the National Survey on the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression along with eligibility criteria from recent landmark clinical trials, the researchers determined that between 56 and 62 percent of patients currently being treated for depression could qualify for the therapy. In other words, between 5.1 and 5.6 million people could undergo and benefit from this approach.
“Our work,” says Fayzan Rab, “highlights the importance of understanding the practical realities of implementing psilocybin as a therapy on a large scale.” Currently, experts explain, there are an estimated 15 million cases of depression among American adults. The target population segment was classified based on eligibility criteria used in relation to some clinical trials of the psychedelic substance. According to the models, in the case of strict initial selection criteria, 24 percent of patients with depression could qualify as suitable for treatment. The value increases to 62 percent in the case of multiple exclusion conditions. The researchers specify that the analysis focused only on individuals currently treated and did not take into account the potential influx of new patients interested in the appeal of psychedelic medicine.
“Decisions regarding these issues,” Charles Raison, another author of the article, points out, “could significantly limit the FDA’s eventual adoption of psilocybin therapy. In other words, the realizable potential of this treatment is in the hands of regulators, policy makers, insurers, and the healthcare community at large. We hope that these findings will spur productive discussions and proactive preparations to optimize patient benefits while minimizing unintended consequences.”