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WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health advisers are weighing the first-of-a-kind approval of MDMA, the mind-altering club drug, as a treatment for PTSD — part of a decadeslong effort by psychedelic advocates to win medical acceptance for the drug’s purported benefits. The Food and Drug Administration convened a panel of outside experts Tuesday to review the , which appears to show it can help relieve post-traumatic stress disorder when combined with talk therapy. But FDA regulators have questions about the reliability of that data, as well as MDMA’s safety risks, which include the potential for heart problems, injury and drug abuse.

The FDA panel will vote later Tuesday on whether to recommend the drug’s use for PTSD, which could set the stage for federal approval later this summer, though the FDA isn’t required to follow the group’s recommendations. MDMA, sometimes called ecstasy or molly, would become the first illegal psychedelic, if approved, to make the leap to mainstream medicine. The drug is the first in a — including LSD and psilocybin — that are expected to come before the FDA in the next few years as part of renewed research and interest into their potential to address hard-to-treat conditions like depression, addiction and anxiety.



Currently, only antidepressants are FDA-approved for PTSD, which is closely linked to depression, anxiety and suicidal behavior. PTSD is also more prevalent among women and veterans. But the FDA’s review of MDMA highlights .

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