MDMA stories

Sep 4, 2026

New Zealand approves MDMA for treatment of severe PTSD

New Zealand's pharmaceutical regulator has approved two psychiatrists to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA to patients suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, marking a significant shift in mental health treatment policy.

Sep 4, 20263 sources

Top claims

▪A 2021 Phase 3 clinical trial sponsored by Lykos Therapeutics found that 88% of participants with severe PTSD receiving MDMA-assisted therapy showed clinically significant improvement, and 67% no longer met PTSD diagnostic criteria.
▪A 2025 study in Israel found that MDMA taken by partygoers during the October 7 Hamas attack at the Nova music festival helped cushion the impact of their trauma.
▪New Zealand's medicines regulator, Medsafe, approved two psychiatrists on September 4, 2026, to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA to patients with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

Subtopics

Psychedelic policy & regulation Trauma & PTSD Psychedelics for PTSD Psychedelic assisted therapy Mental health

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