Are psychedelics the new GLP-1s?
7 days ago
- #psychedelics
- #pharmaceuticals
- #mental-health
- SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) are widely used for mental health but have limited efficacy, with small benefits over placebo and high discontinuation rates due to side effects like sexual dysfunction and weight gain.
- Ketamine and its derivative esketamine (Spravato) offer rapid relief for treatment-resistant depression, showing significant improvements in clinical trials and becoming a blockbuster drug.
- Psychedelic medicine is emerging as a promising alternative, with companies like MindMed, Compass Pathways, and AtaiBeckley developing treatments using LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and DMT for conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and autism.
- Clinical trials for psychedelic treatments show promising results, with some achieving breakthrough therapy designations from the FDA and demonstrating rapid, durable effects with single doses.
- Psychedelics may revolutionize mental health treatment similarly to how GLP-1 agonists transformed obesity care, but further research and regulatory approvals are needed.