HHS to fund groundwork for first U.S. ibogaine studies

U.S. officials announced up to $4.9 million in funding to prepare for the first U.S. studies of ibogaine for post-traumatic stress disorder, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. The funding will not pay for patient research. It is intended to support work on manufacturing and dosing the drug and designing studies, according to Kennedy. Becker’s Hospital Review reported that Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. will lead research teams working toward a domestically manufactured ibogaine product.

The effort will focus first on safety, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins said. Kennedy said the government will receive data and treatment guidance from Beond Inc., a Texas-based company that has treated more than 3,000 patients with ibogaine in Mexico. The reports say ibogaine can cause hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, tremors and sometimes deadly irregular heart rhythms. Kennedy said additional funding awards may explore its use for addiction.