Clinical pharmacology of ayahuasca: potential applications and future considerations
Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology – October 03, 2025
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca's therapeutic potential remains controversial due to its highly variable composition and limited controlled studies. In a review of existing literature, only 15% of studies provided clear evidence on safety and efficacy, highlighting significant gaps in knowledge. The subjective experiences reported by users may contribute to its effects, but the lack of standardized compounds complicates clinical applications. As interest in psychedelics grows within medicine and pharmacology, ongoing investigations into isolated compounds aim to clarify their role in treatment and enhance risk analysis for clinical settings.
Abstract
Similar to what happens with other psychedelics, there is an ongoing debate on subjective experience contribution to overall therapeutic mechanisms, which can depend on the targeted conditions. There are very few evidences from controlled studies, limiting the conclusions on safety and efficacy. On top of that, ayahuasca highly variable composition posits another challenge, and studies using isolated compounds are being developed.