Psychedelic medication for mental illness may be on the market within the next year, according to Matthew Johnson, a nationally recognized expert in psychedelic research who joined the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
His studies will focused on innovative treatments for psychiatric and substance use disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior Chair Dr. Boadie Dunlop said in a news release.
Psilocybin-based medication could fundamentally change behaviors like substance misuse and addiction. In his work at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, Johnson was using psilocybin to treat tobacco addiction.
“As psychiatric illness and substance use disorders continue to affect millions of Americans, this program will help position MCG at the forefront of research into emerging therapies for complex mental health and addiction-related conditions,” Dunlop said.
Johnson said he expects to see multiple U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals within the next year after President Trump signed an executive order “which really encouraged and facilitated the potential approval of these psychedelic medications,” Johnson said.
Eli Lilly, one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world, purchased AtaiBeckley, one of the successful early stage drug development companies specifically focused on psychedelics, he said.
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While a number of pharmaceutical companies are in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials, Johnson said he’s not simply looking at treating disorders.
“I’m interested in human behavior change,” he said. “I think the most interesting thing about psychedelics is not just that they can treat this or that disorder. The most important thing is they constitute a technology for fundamental behavior change.”
Johnson said he expects to begin recruiting for clinical trials within the next six months.