Midstage Study Finds LSD Reduced Anxiety Symptoms, Company Seeks Further Trials

A midstage clinical study led by drugmaker MindMed found that lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD, reduced symptoms of anxiety in patients with moderate-to-severe generalized anxiety disorder, the company reported Thursday.

The trial tested several doses of LSD and showed improvements that in some participants lasted as long as three months. MindMed said it plans to conduct larger follow-up studies to confirm the results and, if those are favorable, pursue approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The findings, described in a peer-reviewed midstage trial published Thursday, mark a step in efforts to re-evaluate a drug that has been banned in the United States for more than half a century. Research in the 1950s and 1960s explored LSD’s therapeutic use, but many of those studies do not meet contemporary scientific and regulatory standards.

“I see this paper as a clear step in the direction of reviving that old research, applying our modern standards and determining what are the real costs and benefits of these compounds,” said Frederick Barrett, director of Johns Hopkins University’s psychedelic research center, who was not involved in the MindMed study.

Experts and observers have noted a broader resurgence of interest in psychedelics within both scientific and popular arenas. Conferences, documentaries, books and articles in medical journals have increasingly explored psychedelics’ potential to treat conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance use disorders.

MindMed’s announcement follows a series of recent clinical initiatives testing psychedelic compounds for psychiatric conditions. The company said the midstage trial explored multiple doses to assess safety and efficacy, and that the observed reductions in anxiety symptoms warrant larger and longer trials to better define the drug’s benefits and risks.

The study’s publication did not immediately change LSD’s legal status. LSD remains a controlled substance under U.S. law, and federal regulatory approval would require robust evidence from larger, well-controlled trials demonstrating both efficacy and safety.

Researchers caution that while early results are encouraging, additional research is needed to determine appropriate dosing, the duration of therapeutic effects, potential side effects, and which patient populations might benefit most. Clinicians also emphasize that psychedelic-assisted treatments typically combine drug administration with psychotherapy, and that outcomes can be influenced by set, setting and clinical support.

MindMed’s next steps, as outlined in its announcement, are to design confirmatory trials that meet regulatory expectations and to engage with the FDA on a potential approval pathway. If those trials reproduce the midstage findings and satisfy safety requirements, the company could move toward seeking authorization to prescribe LSD-based treatments for anxiety.

The renewed scientific interest in psychedelic medicines has already led to increased funding and academic research partnerships, and proponents say rigorous modern trials are necessary to separate early promise from overhyped claims. Critics and public health officials have urged caution, underscoring the need for careful assessment of both therapeutic potential and public health implications as research progresses.