<p>Depression affects over 185 million people worldwide, with approximately one-third classified as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Current treatments, such as oral antidepressants, often take around 3 weeks to become effective, with no immediate anti-suicidal benefits. The field urgently needs innovative therapies that provide rapid relief. Psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca have shown promising antidepressant effects; however, their long duration (several hours) makes them costly and impractical for public health systems. <i>N,N</i>-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an endogenous psychedelic also found in ayahuasca, offers a viable alternative with a short duration of action (10–20 min) and non-invasive inhalation administration. Unlike ayahuasca, which contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors, vaporized DMT acts quickly and poses fewer pharmacological interaction risks. This open-label trial evaluated inhaled DMT for TRD for the first time, within the framework of interventional psychiatry. Fourteen patients (<i>N</i><sub>female</sub> = 6) participated in a fixed-order, dose-escalation study (15 mg and 60 mg). The treatment was safe, well-tolerated, and produced manageable psychedelic effects with no serious adverse events. A subpopulation using antidepressants showed similar safety outcomes. Results showed rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, with an average reduction of 21.14 points on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale by day 7 (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). The response rate was 85.71%, and the remission rate was 57.14% 7 days post-administration, lasting up to 3 months. Suicidal ideation significantly decreased, with no severe ideation the day after dosing. Vaporized DMT offers a non-invasive, time-efficient, and cost-effective alternative to other psychedelics and traditional antidepressants, supporting its role in interventional psychiatry and public health. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06094907.</p>

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Rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of vaporized N,N-dimethyltryptamine: a phase 2a clinical trial in treatment-resistant depression

  • Marcelo Falchi-Carvalho,
  • Fernanda Palhano-Fontes,
  • Isabel Wießner,
  • Handersson Barros,
  • Raynara Bolcont,
  • Sophie Laborde,
  • Sérgio Ruschi B. Silva,
  • Daniel Montanini,
  • David C. Barbosa,
  • Ewerton Teixeira,
  • Rodrigo Florence-Vilela,
  • Raissa Almeida,
  • Rosana K. A. de Macedo,
  • Flávia Arichelle,
  • Érica J. Pantrigo,
  • José V. Costa-Macedo,
  • João Arthur da Cruz Nunes,
  • Luiz Antonio de Araújo Costa Neto,
  • Luis Fernando Nunes Ferreira,
  • Luísa Dantas Corrêa,
  • Romária Bárbara da Costa Bezerra,
  • Emerson Arcoverde,
  • Nicole Galvão-Coelho,
  • Draulio B. Araujo

摘要

Depression affects over 185 million people worldwide, with approximately one-third classified as treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Current treatments, such as oral antidepressants, often take around 3 weeks to become effective, with no immediate anti-suicidal benefits. The field urgently needs innovative therapies that provide rapid relief. Psychedelics like psilocybin and ayahuasca have shown promising antidepressant effects; however, their long duration (several hours) makes them costly and impractical for public health systems. N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an endogenous psychedelic also found in ayahuasca, offers a viable alternative with a short duration of action (10–20 min) and non-invasive inhalation administration. Unlike ayahuasca, which contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors, vaporized DMT acts quickly and poses fewer pharmacological interaction risks. This open-label trial evaluated inhaled DMT for TRD for the first time, within the framework of interventional psychiatry. Fourteen patients (Nfemale = 6) participated in a fixed-order, dose-escalation study (15 mg and 60 mg). The treatment was safe, well-tolerated, and produced manageable psychedelic effects with no serious adverse events. A subpopulation using antidepressants showed similar safety outcomes. Results showed rapid and sustained antidepressant effects, with an average reduction of 21.14 points on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale by day 7 (p < 0.001). The response rate was 85.71%, and the remission rate was 57.14% 7 days post-administration, lasting up to 3 months. Suicidal ideation significantly decreased, with no severe ideation the day after dosing. Vaporized DMT offers a non-invasive, time-efficient, and cost-effective alternative to other psychedelics and traditional antidepressants, supporting its role in interventional psychiatry and public health. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT06094907.