LSD: what the evidence shows

One supervised 100 µg dose of DT120 beat placebo in the Phase 3 Voyage trial (214 people): anxiety scores fell 5.4 points more at week 12.¹

The second Phase 3, Panorama, also met its goal: a 5.1-point advantage at week 12, with effects seen from day 2.²

This followed a 198-person Phase 2b trial in JAMA, where the effect was still there at week 12.³

Definium plans to meet the FDA before the end of 2026 and file in the first half of 2027.²

Earlier, an academic Phase 2 trial in Switzerland (42 people) also found LSD-assisted therapy reduced anxiety.⁴

In the Phase 3 Emerge trial (149 adults), one 100 µg dose cut depression scores by 8.1 points more than placebo at week 6. 24% reached remission, versus 3% on placebo.⁵

A second pivotal trial, Ascend, is part of the programme; its results aren't out yet.⁵

An academic Swiss trial (61 people) compared high and low doses of LSD with therapy. The high dose did better on the clinician-rated scale, but the self-rated measure just missed significance, and neither result held after adjusting for how depressed people were at the start.⁶

A 12-person pilot found LSD-assisted therapy reduced anxiety linked to life-threatening disease.⁷!

A larger Phase 2 trial (42 people with anxiety, with or without serious illness) confirmed lasting reductions in anxiety.⁴

A meta-analysis of six trials from the 1960s and 70s (536 people) found a single LSD dose reduced alcohol misuse.⁸!

A modern trial is recruiting in Switzerland.⁹

In a placebo-controlled trial of 53 adults, LSD microdoses twice a week for six weeks did no better than placebo. Both groups improved, and those who believed they got LSD improved more.¹⁰