Psychedelic medicines for end-of-life care: Pipeline clinical trial review 2022.
Palliative & supportive care August 1, 2023 Xuepeng Jing, Nicholas R Hoeh, David B Menkes 18 citations
A scoping review of pipeline clinical trials identified 25 studies of psychedelic treatment for depression, anxiety, and existential distress at end of life, including 13 randomized controlled trials and 12 open-label trials. Investigational drugs included ketamine (11 trials), psilocybin (10), MDMA (2), and LSD (2); three trials involved microdosing, and fifteen incorporated psychotherapy. Only three trials assessed expectancy and blinding effectiveness beyond randomization. The review expects ongoing trials to extend evidence for psychedelic-assisted group therapy and microdosing, but head-to-head comparisons of different psychedelics and more rigorous studies controlling expectancy are still needed.