Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence.

Ibogaine, a psychoactive alkaloid from the African plant Tabernanthe iboga, has a history of use in treating drug addiction outside conventional medical settings due to its Schedule I status in the U.S. Preclinical research generally supports anecdotal claims that ibogaine attenuates withdrawal symptoms and reduces drug cravings. However, concerns about its safety and a lack of solid human data have blocked progress toward controlled clinical trials and approval as a medication. This review outlines major preclinical findings, safety concerns, and previous and ongoing research on ibogaine as an anti-addictive treatment for humans.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid derived from Tabernanthe iboga, a plant used in initiatory rituals in West Central Africa. Largely because of ibogaine's status as a Schedule I substance in the U.S., the development of ibogaine's use in the treatment of drug addiction took place outside conventional clinical and medical settings. This article reviews the history of ibogaine's use in the treatment of drug addiction, and discusses progress made towards, and obstacles blocking, the establishment of controlled clinical trials of ibogaine's efficacy. Preclinical research has generally supported anecdotal claims that ibogaine attenuates withdrawal symptoms and reduces drug cravings. Concerns about ibogaine's safety, as well as a dearth of solid data from human studies, have hampered progress in its development as an approved medication. This article outlines major findings from preclinical studies, discusses concerns about ibogaine's safety, and details previous and ongoing research on ibogaine's use as an anti-addictive treatment for humans.