A psychedelic toad compound is being used as a potential treatment for alcoholism.
A toad psychedelic could treat alcoholism
Researchers at King's College London are to examine the benefits of a new synthetic drug made from the psychedelic compound Mebufotenin, which is found naturally in the Colorado River toad.
The BPL-003 drug has been created by the British research company Beckley Psytech as part of an evaluation into the use of psychedelics as a treatment for mental illnesses.
In the trial, patients suffering from alcoholism will be given a single dose of BPL-003 along with talking therapy around quitting drinking. The patients will then be followed for 12 weeks with safety and efficacy assessments conducted at various points.
Cosmo Feilding-Mellen, chief executive of Beckley Psytech, said: "There is increasing evidence demonstrating the therapeutic effect of psychedelics for substance use disorders.
"We are proud to be at the forefront of this field of research, exploring how short-acting formulations like BPL-003 might address and reduce the burden that conditions like alcohol use disorder have on individuals, society and healthcare systems more broadly."