Health
Psychedelic drug popular in 1960s could ease anxiety as doctors share warnings
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A new study suggests that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known as acid, could reduce anxiety.
This marks the first-ever trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MM120 (a pharmaceutical formulation of LSD) as a monotherapy for patients with moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder, according to lead author Daniel Karlin, M.D., chief medical officer of MindMed, a biopharmaceutical company in New York.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Nearly 200 adults between the ages of 18 and 74 received either a single oral dose of LSD at various does, or a placebo “dummy pill,” for a three-month period, according to a press release.
The dosing sessions were individually conducted in private rooms with two trained monitors who observed the participants for at least 12 hours. No psychotherapy was provided.
A new study suggests that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known as acid, could reduce anxiety. (iStock)
Researchers tracked changes in participants’ anxiety scores at weeks 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12, with week 4 serving as the main point of evaluation.
After the four weeks, patients receiving the highest doses had significantly lower anxiety scores than the others.
At 12 weeks, 65% of patients taking 100 milligrams showed benefits, with nearly 50% in remission from anxiety.
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Researchers also tested LSD’s impact on depression, finding that the highest doses were linked to significant improvements.
Karlin shared that the effects of LSD were almost immediate. Side effects of the psychedelic included hallucinations, nausea and headaches.
LSD was shown to reduce symptoms in adults with generalized anxiety disorder, with 100-microgram doses proving most effective in a clinical trial. (iStock)
The effects were dose-dependent, with 100 milligrams being the optimal dose. The 200-milligram dose also significantly outperformed the placebo. The 25-milligram and 50-milligram doses did not show significant benefits.
One possible study complication was “functional unbinding,” in which trial participants could correctly guess whether they had received the active medication versus a placebo, according to Karlin.
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The drugmaker plans to conduct two large, late-stage trials to track patients over a longer period of time.
If the study is deemed successful, MindMed will submit the drug to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval.
Risks and legalities
LSD is classified as a Schedule I drug, which means it’s considered to have high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Schedule I drugs are not legally allowed to be prescribed, dispensed or used in medical treatment, except for approved research.
If the study is deemed successful, Mindmed will submit the experimental drug to the FDA for approval. (iStock)
The FDA has designated LSD, psilocybin and MDMA as “potential breakthrough therapies,” Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told Fox News Digital.
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“The key is careful oversight and meticulous research, which monitors both side effects and effectiveness,” said Siegel.
While this new study shows a “very positive result in around 200 patients,” Siegel confirmed that LSD can cause hallucinations.
Additional documented side effects may include paranoia, mood swings, increased heart rate and long-term psychosis, according to multiple sources.
“The key is careful oversight and meticulous research, which monitors both side effects and effectiveness.”
Hadas Alterman, a psychedelic medicine attorney in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital that “LSD’s return is not just cultural or scientific, it’s regulatory.”
The expert says psychedelics were “sidelined” due to the “sweeping expansion of FDA authority under the 1962 Kefauver–Harris Amendments.”
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This legislation, also called the Drug Efficacy Amendments, required drug manufacturers to provide substantial evidence of efficacy through well-controlled clinical trials before approval.
“LSD and other psychedelics have long shown clinical promise, but the excess recreational use in the 1960s pushed researchers away from continuing to study it,” Siegel added.
“LSD and other psychedelics have long shown clinical promise, but the excess recreational use in the 1960s pushed researchers away from continuing to study it,” a doctor said. (iStock)
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins have conveyed interest in exploring psychedelic therapy.
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“This line of therapeutics has tremendous advantage if given in a clinical setting, and we are working very hard to make sure that happens within 12 months,” RFK recently told members of Congress, per AP.
Psychedelics advocate Alterman noted that while the support “doesn’t replace science,” it encourages institutions like FDA to “take this seriously.”
Health
New York anchor Bill Ritter announces Alzheimer’s diagnosis during his final Eyewitness News broadcast
Ultra-processed foods linked to dementia risk
Amen Clinics Associate Medical Director Dr. Eboni Cornish joins ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss a study revealing a 58% higher dementia risk and 46% increase in cognitive impairment from consuming ultra-processed foods.
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Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter revealed Friday that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, bringing an end to his more than two-decade run behind the WABC-TV anchor desk.
Ritter, 76, who has anchored the station’s 6 p.m. newscast in New York City since 2001, revealed during Friday’s Eyewitness News broadcast that it would be his final night anchoring the program.
“After a series of tests, my doctors have told me I have Alzheimer’s,” Ritter said during the broadcast.
“It’s early-stage Alzheimer’s, and they say the treatments I’m getting are keeping it at bay, for now,” he continued. “But there is no guarantee, because there’s no cure yet for Alzheimer’s.”
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Veteran New York news anchor Bill Ritter announced that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and is stepping away from the WABC-TV anchor desk. (Linda Rosier/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
“So, unless someone finds an amazing cure, and soon, tonight will be the last newscast I anchor,” he added.
According to ABC7, Ritter joined WABC-TV in 1998 after an extensive journalism career that included work at the Los Angeles Times, local television stations in California and positions with ABC News.
He began anchoring the station’s 11 p.m. Eyewitness News broadcast in 1999 and was added to the flagship 6 p.m. newscast in 2001. He also anchored the station’s 5 p.m. broadcast for several years.
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Bill Ritter has anchored WABC-TV’s 6 p.m. newscast in New York City since 2001. (Heidi Gutman/Disney via Getty Images)
ABC7 reported that Ritter will remain with the station in a new role focused in part on reporting about Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions, as well as their impact on patients and families.
“For decades, Bill Ritter has covered and led New Yorkers through the stories that matter most,” WABC-TV General Manager Marilu Galvez said in a statement.
“A defining presence at ABC7, he has done so with exceptional insight, integrity and, most of all, heart, earning the love and respect of viewers and colleagues alike,” she continued.
“While he is stepping away from daily anchoring, he will continue to be an integral part of our ABC7 family, including sharing personal updates and providing resources to help others impacted by Alzheimer’s better understand the disease and the resources available to them.”
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Bill Ritter, Eyewitness News Anchor, WABC-TV, speaks onstage at the ROAR Forward Summit at Hearst Tower on November 19, 2024 in New York City. (Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Hearst)
“Bill is strong, brilliant, and resourceful, and we look forward to his continued reporting on Eyewitness News,” Galvez added.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to Ritter’s announcement by wishing the veteran broadcaster and his family “strength in the days ahead.”
“For decades, Bill Ritter has been a trusted presence in New Yorkers’ homes, helping us make sense of the news that shape our city,” Mamdani wrote on X. “
“His courage in sharing his Alzheimer’s diagnosis will help countless families facing the same challenge feel less alone,” he continued. “Wishing Bill, his loved ones, and everyone affected by Alzheimer’s strength in the days ahead.”
Ritter’s colleagues also reacted to his announcement.
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WABC-TV reporter Lucy Yang paid tribute to Ritter’s professionalism and dedication during his decades-long career at the station.
“For decades, I’ve reported for his show and even filled in, anchored w him,” she posted on X. “He never gave less than 110% I salute you. I thank you. And I will pray for you.”
Lee Goldberg, the station’s chief meteorologist, said Ritter’s influence would continue long after he stepped away from the anchor desk.
“He preaches be kind, take care of each other, & we’re all in this together,” Goldberg said on X. “Now, in addition to doing these things for himself & his loving family, he’ll build on his legendary legacy by helping millions who share his battle.”
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“You’re a saint, and my hero @billritter7,” he added. “Love you.”
Ritter also noted during the broadcast that his father died from Alzheimer’s disease in 1998 after battling the illness for years.
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