Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Psilocybin, With Therapy, Helps Curb Alcohol Use Disorder: Study
The Wall Street Journal: Psilocybin, Psychedelic Compound In Magic Mushrooms, Shown Effective For Alcohol Addiction
Psilocybin—the active ingredient in so-called psychedelic or magic mushrooms—given in combination with psychotherapy curbed drinking in adults with alcohol use disorder for at least eight months, researchers said in a study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. Nearly half of the study participants who got psilocybin stopped drinking entirely, an effect that in some cases lasted years, according to the researchers and interviews with study participants. (Hernandez, 8/24)
Stat: Psilocybin Shows Promise For Treating Alcohol Addiction, New Study Finds
Taking one recreational drug as treatment for over-dependence on another is hardly intuitive, but a new study found that psilocybin, the psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms, could be a promising treatment for alcohol use disorder. (Goldhill, 8/24)
AP: 'Magic Mushroom' Psychedelic May Help Heavy Drinkers Quit
During the eight months after their first dosing session, patients taking psilocybin did better than the other group, drinking heavily on about 1 in 10 days on average vs. about 1 in 4 days for the dummy pill group. Almost half who took psilocybin stopped drinking entirely compared with 24% of the control group. Only three conventional drugs — disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate — are approved to treat alcohol use disorder and there’s been no new drug approvals in nearly 20 years. (Johnson, 8/24)
USA Today: Psilocybin Mushrooms Show Potential To Fight Alcohol Addiction: Study
Dr. George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, said the studies on psychedelics and addiction remain early and inconclusive but seem promising. "There are people who just don't respond to conventional treatment and if this would help them that would be wonderful," Koob said. "As the evidence mounts, which it is in a number of domains, we're definitely interested in supporting further study." (Weintraub, 8/24)
