Evidence Base
Clinical Trials in Psychedelic Medicine
The landmark studies establishing psilocybin and MDMA as breakthrough psychiatric treatments — sorted by condition, sponsor, and result.
COMPASS Pathways COMP360 Phase 2b — Treatment-Resistant Depression
Sponsor: COMPASS Pathways
n = 233
Condition: Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)
29% remission rate with 25mg vs. 8% placebo at week 3
Johns Hopkins — Psilocybin for Major Depression
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University
n = 24
Condition: Major Depressive Disorder
71% showed clinically significant response; 54% in remission at 4-week follow-up
Imperial College London — Psilocybin vs. Escitalopram (SSRI)
Sponsor: Imperial College London
n = 59
Condition: Major Depressive Disorder
Psilocybin non-inferior to escitalopram on primary outcome; superior on secondary measures of well-being
NYU — Psilocybin for Alcohol Use Disorder
Sponsor: NYU Langone Health (Bogenschutz et al.)
n = 93
Condition: Alcohol Use Disorder
83% reduction in heavy drinking days vs. 51% placebo at 32 weeks; 48% total abstinence at 8 months
Johns Hopkins — Psilocybin for Smoking Cessation
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University (Matthew Johnson et al.)
n = 15
Condition: Nicotine Use Disorder
67% abstinence at 12-month follow-up — significantly exceeding standard treatment (~35%)
Johns Hopkins + NYU — Psilocybin for Cancer-Related Distress
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins / NYU (Griffiths, Ross et al.)
n = 80
Condition: Cancer-related depression and existential anxiety
60-80% showed clinically significant reductions in anxiety and depression at 6 months
MAPS — MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD (Phase 3)
Sponsor: MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies)
n = 90
Condition: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
67-71% no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria post-treatment vs. 32-48% placebo