The Heffter Research Institute: Past and Hopeful Future
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs January 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2014.873688
Summary
Psilocybin shows significant promise in alleviating severe distress for end-stage cancer patients, leading to plans for a large Phase 3 clinical trial. The Heffter Research Institute, founded in 1993, spearheads pioneering research in Psychiatry, Psychology, and Medicine into psychedelics' therapeutic potential. Initial Psychedelics and Drug Studies, part of diverse academic research themes, have successfully explored psilocybin for obsessive-compulsive disorder, alcoholism, and smoking cessation. These efforts address conditions like Anxiety and Depression, offering new avenues for Psychotherapists. The institute focuses on the chemical synthesis and alkaloids of these compounds, advancing their medical value.
Abstract
This essay describes the founding of the Heffter Research Institute in 1993 and its development up to the present. The Institute is the only scientific research organization dedicated to scientific research into the medical value of psychedelics, and it has particularly focused on the use of psilocybin. The first clinical treatment study was of the value of psilocybin in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Next was a UCLA study of psilocybin to treat end-of-life distress in end-stage cancer patients. While that study was ongoing, a trial was started at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) to study the efficacy of psilocybin in treating anxiety and depression resulting from a cancer diagnosis. Following the successful completion of the UCLA project, a larger study was started at New York University, which is near completion. A pilot study of the value of psilocybin in treating alcoholism at the University of New Mexico also is nearing completion, with a larger two-site study being planned. Other studies underway involve the use of psilocybin in a smoking cessation program and a study of the effects of psilocybin in long-term meditators, both at JHU. The institute is now planning for a Phase 3 clinical trial of psilocybin to treat distress in end-stage cancer patients.