What is ibogaine, and why is it in the news?
4/29/202619 min
In mid-April, President Trump issued an executive order to set aside funding and loosen the bureaucratic process at the FDA to fast-track psychedelic therapy research. One obscure psychedelic got a particularly bright spotlight: ibogaine.
Originating from the root bark of the iboga plant of central Africa, the psychedelic has shown promise for curbing opioid addiction and treating PTSD. But it also can be risky to take, and hasn’t made it to the medical mainstream like psilocybin or ketamine. So what’s the story with this drug?
Joining Host Flora Lichtman to talk about its history is neurologist and pharmacologist Deborah Mash, who secured the first FDA approval for clinical trials involving ibogaine in the 1990s. And to tell us how it fits in with the growing interest in medical psychedelics is Jane Hu, journalist for The Microdose newsletter. (Disclosure: Deborah Mash is founder and CEO of a company that’s developing a therapeutic drug based on ibogaine.)
Guests:
Jane C. Hu is a journalist for the psychedelic science newsletter The Microdose, based in Seattle, WA.
Dr. Deborah Mash is professor emeritus of neurology and molecular and cellular pharmacology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. She is the also founder and CEO of DemeRx.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsFlora Lichtman· Host0:01
[instrumental music] Hey, it's Flora, and you are listening to Science Friday. Psychedelic news from the Oval Office.
Donald Trump· Soundbite0:10
If these turn out to be as good as people are saying, it's gonna have a tremendous impact on this country and other countries, too.
Flora Lichtman· Host0:17
This month, Joe Rogan and RFK Jr. stood behind President Trump as he announced his administration would set aside funding and loosen the bureaucratic process at the FDA to fast-track psychedelic therapy research. Joe Rogan name-checked one drug in particular, ibogaine. Rogan said he sent Trump information about ibogaine's potential promise for addiction, and Trump replied.
Joe Rogan· Soundbite0:42
The text message b- came back, "Sounds great. Do you want FDA approval? Let's do it." [laughing] It was literally that quick.
Flora Lichtman· Host0:50
So ibogaine comes from the root bark of the iboga plant found in Central Africa, and it has psychedelic properties. And besides its potential for curbing opioid addiction, veterans in the US have been advocates for this treatment because it's shown some promise for treating PTSD and other conditions. But it also can be risky to take, especially if you have heart issues. Now, if you have never heard of the drug ibogaine, you're not alone. Compared to other hallucinogenic drugs like psilocybin or ketamine, ibogaine has not made it to the medical mainstream yet. So what is the story with this drug? Here to tell us about its history