New Zealand drugs regulator approves use of MDMA to treat severe PTSD
New Zealand has become the second country to approve the use of MDMA for treating severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The decision follows similar moves in Australia and aims to provide new therapeutic options for patients who do not respond to traditional antidepressants.
Why it matters
The approval marks a significant shift in the medical regulation of psychedelic substances for mental health treatment, despite ongoing debates in other nations like the U.S.
Consumed primarily for its euphoric effects, MDMA has now been approved in New Zealand to treat trauma. Photograph: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Consumed primarily for its euphoric effects, MDMA has now been approved in New Zealand to treat trauma. Photograph: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group/Getty Images New Zealand New Zealand drugs regulator approves use of MDMA to treat severe PTSD New Zealand decision follows Australian approval in 2023 of psychedelics to treat PTSD and treatment-resistant depression
Prefer the Guardian on Google Two psychiatrists in New Zealand won approval on Friday to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA to people with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The move by New Zealand’s pharmaceutical regulatory body Medsafe makes the country only the second worldwide to approve the party drug for use in treating PTSD, following Australia in 2023.
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