NCT05790239

MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Veterans With Moderate to Severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Single-Site Phase II 2-Arm Study to Compare the Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of Manualized MDMA-Assisted Therapy to Low Dose D-Amphetamine Assisted Therapy in Veterans For The Treatment of Moderate to Severe PTSD

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: Phase 2
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 40 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Stephen Robert Marder · Federal
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This randomized, double-blind, single-site phase II 2-arm study will investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of MDMA-assisted therapy compared with low dose d-amphetamine-assisted therapy on the severity of PTSD symptoms in participants aged 18 years and older with PTSD of at least moderate severity.

Detailed description

This randomized, double-blind, single-site phase II 2-arm study will compare MDMA-assisted therapy with low dose d-amphetamine-assisted therapy to treat PTSD symptoms in veteran participants aged 18 years and older with PTSD of at least moderate severity, as measured by the change in CAPS-5 total severity score. The study will be conducted in up to N=40 participants from the Greater Los Angeles VA randomized with a 1:1 allocation to Group 1: MDMA-assisted therapy or Group 2: low dose d-amphetamine assisted therapy. For each participant, the study will consist of: * Screening Period: phone screen, informed consent, eligibility assessment, Screening CAPS-5, and Initial Enrollment of eligible participants. * Preparatory Period: medication tapering, three Preparatory Sessions, baseline assessments (including Baseline CAPS-5), leading to Enrollment Confirmation. * Treatment Period: three Experimental Sessions, and three Integrative Sessions following each Experimental Session including CAPS-5 assessments. * Follow-up Period and Study Termination: Primary Outcome CAPS-5 assessment and Study Termination visit.

Conditions

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine	Initial doses per Experimental Session include 68 mg or 100 mg MDMA (equivalent to 80 mg or 120 mg MDMA HCl), followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by a supplemental dose of 34 mg or 50 mg MDMA (equivalent to 40 mg or 60 mg MDMA HCl).
DRUG	d-amphetamine	Initial dose per experimental session will be 5 mg or 10 mg d-amphetamine, followed 1.5 to 2 hours later by supplemental dose of 2.5 mg or 5 mg d-amphetamine.
BEHAVIORAL	Therapy	Participants assigned to MDMA and d-amphetamine will undergo a therapeutic approach, which is detailed in the MDMA-Assisted Therapy Treatment Manual and administered by MAPS-trained therapists. In brief, this therapy is guided by the subject's own recollections of traumatic events. The subject and two therapists provide a comfortable and supportive environment and allow the subject to guide the discussion. Subjects are encouraged to experience and express fear, anger, and grief with less likelihood of feeling overwhelmed by these emotions. MDMA seems to engender internal awareness that even painful feelings that arise are an important part of the therapeutic process. In addition, feelings of empathy, love, and deep appreciation often emerge, along with a clearer perspective of the trauma as a past event, a more accurate perspective about its significance, and a heightened awareness of the support and safety that exists in the present.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-03-01
• Primary completion: 2026-03-01
• Completion: 2026-03-01
• First posted: 2023-03-30
• Last updated: 2025-03-28

Locations

2 sites across 1 country: United States

Regulatory

• FDA-regulated drug study