The Department of Health and Human Services will invest up to $4.9 million through its Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to advance research into ibogaine, a powerful psychedelic substance, as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the announcement Thursday, one day after Veterans Day. “Veterans kept their promise to this country. We must keep ours,” Kennedy said. “Veterans have told us ibogaine changed their lives. Their experiences demand serious scientific investigation. We will pursue the evidence, confront the risks and put affordability at the center of this work.”
According to HHS, the funding will support “the scientific, regulatory, and manufacturing work necessary to prepare for future U.S. clinical trials.”
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychedelic derived from a shrub native to West Africa. It has drawn growing attention for its potential to treat PTSD, depression, and addiction. Some U.S. veterans have already traveled overseas to try the drug as a treatment, since it remains outside the bounds of approved domestic care.
Kennedy also announced that HHS will make $20 million available to study other fast-acting mental health treatments, including ketamine and psilocybin.
The announcement builds on an executive order signed by President Trump in April directing agencies to accelerate research into these treatments. HHS says it is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to get such treatments to veterans quickly once they clear FDA approval.
VA Secretary Doug Collins backed the move. “Veterans deserve effective treatments and clear answers about the benefits and risks of those treatments,” Collins said. “We look forward to working with HHS to explore the possibilities of ibogaine and prepare our clinicians to deliver new treatments if they earn FDA approval.”
