Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly June 29, 2026 Alison Knopf
The Michigan Society of Addiction Medicine opposes a bill that would redirect opioid settlement funds toward research on ibogaine, a psychedelic drug, arguing that such funds should instead be used for evidence-based treatments for opioid use disorder.
Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis June 24, 2026 Scot Mcintosh, Isabella Maldonado, Nickalus C Smith et al.
A sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated to quantify ibogaine, noribogaine, ibogamine, and oxa-noribogaine in rat brain microdialysate, measuring pharmacologically active, unbound drug in brain extracellular fluid rather than total tissue content. The method achieved lower limits of quantification of 0.78-1.56 ng/mL with a 6-minute run time, and calibration curves were linear over 0.78-75 ng/mL for ibogamine and 1.56-75 ng/mL for the other analytes. Accuracy and precision met acceptance criteria. Applied to rats (n=4), noribogaine in nucleus accumbens after 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal administration reached a peak unbound concentration of 292 ± 68 ng/mL at 50 minutes, demonstrating suitability for real-time neuropharmacokinetic profiling of iboga alkaloids.
Research Square June 17, 2026 Martijn Arns, Kenneth Shinozuka, Joseph Barsuglia
Ibogaine, a substance showing early promise for treating substance use disorders and PTSD in veterans, carries a risk of cardiac arrhythmia and death. A retrospective multisite study of 19,071 patients treated under safety guidelines at 11 international clinics found that all six deaths occurring within 72 hours were among patients treated for opioid use disorder (6 out of 10,382), with no deaths among 8,689 non-SUD patients. A systematic review of ibogaine-associated fatalities mirrored this pattern: 41 of 44 fatalities with known indication involved substance use disorder, predominantly opioid detoxification. The findings indicate that ibogaine-associated mortality is largely confined to opioid detoxification and rare in non-SUD indications.
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) June 12, 2026 Saeid Ghiasi
A system is described that maps human brain activity (EEG frequency, amplitude, and phase) to the behavior of a living slime mold (Physarum polycephalum) to create a biohybrid interface for addiction recovery. The slime mold's network growth and retraction are controlled by nutrient gradients that correspond to neural signals: higher activation in addiction-related brain regions reduces food at corresponding Physarum nodes, causing network retraction. The system is presented as a structural isomorphism—not a metaphor—between neural plasticity, Physarum tube reinforcement, and ibogaine's neurorestorative mechanisms (NMDA receptor blockade, BDNF/GDNF upregulation). The document is a defensive publication establishing prior art under patent treaties, released under CC-BY 4.0.
DELOS Desarrollo Local Sostenible June 3, 2026 Ana Lara Mendonça, Déborah Rezende, Gabriela Alves et al.
Ibogaine, an indole alkaloid from Tabernanthe iboga, may reduce withdrawal symptoms, craving, and relapse in substance use disorders. A literature review of publications from PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Google Scholar, and SciELO shows ibogaine acts via multiple systems: glutamatergic, opioid, serotonergic, and nicotinic, with possible effects on neuroplasticity and reward circuits. Observational clinical studies indicate reductions in withdrawal and craving, and recent research describes improved psychiatric and cognitive outcomes in controlled settings. However, safety remains a major limitation, particularly the risk of corrected QT interval prolongation, ventricular arrhythmias, and serious cardiac events. The therapeutic potential is relevant but depends on randomized controlled trials, rigorous monitoring, clear regulatory criteria, and hospital protocols to reduce patient risks.
Frontiers in Pharmacology June 3, 2026 Burton J. Tabaac, Robin L. Carhart-Harris, Teresa Yung
Three individuals with persistent symptoms after traumatic brain injury or hypoxic-ischemic brain injury completed a six-week protocol combining a participant-directed iboga-containing microdosing regimen (using whole root bark biomass with about 3.845% ibogaine content, yielding an estimated 3.8–38.5 mg/day ibogaine equivalent) with weekly Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy and supportive nutraceuticals. All three showed progressive neurological recovery; two reported complete symptom remission at long-term follow-up. Participants discontinued all prescription medications and reported resolution of headaches, brain fog, fatigue, irritability, and mood swings, with a return to regular activities and renewed enthusiasm. The authors note that the findings do not establish causality or iboga-specific efficacy due to the multimodal intervention and methodological limitations.