Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-Assisted Therapy in Hawaii: A Brief Review
Cureus June 28, 2022 Ann Inouye, Aaron Wolfgang 5 citations
The Food and Drug Administration granted breakthrough therapy status to MDMA-assisted therapy in 2017 based on early evidence for treating PTSD. Across six phase-II trials, 54% of participants receiving a full dose no longer met PTSD diagnosis after two sessions, compared to 23% in the control group. In the first phase-III trial, 67% no longer met criteria after three sessions. Effects persisted: 67% remained undiagnosable after one year and 74% after nearly four years. The therapy was being fast-tracked for potential FDA approval by 2023. Hawaii's 2021 Senate Bill 738, which unsuccessfully sought to reschedule psilocybin for major depressive disorder, highlighted that MDMA, also a Schedule I substance, could benefit Hawaii residents.