A bipartisan and bicameral coalition of congressional lawmakers is expressing urgency to the federal government as it looks into the possibility of authorizing MDMA-assisted therapy, particularly as it concerns veterans with severe mental health conditions.
A total of 80 members of Congress—including 19 senators and 61 representatives from the House—sent separate letters to the Biden administration and the head of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this past week, urging serious consideration of approving the psychedelic as a treatment option for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
MDMA is “one of the most promising and available options to provide reprieve for veterans’ endless PTSD cycle,” the Senate letter says, noting that FDA has already designated it as a breakthrough therapy.
This comes about a month after an FDA advisory panel rejected an application to authorize MDMA-assisted therapy. Bipartisan lawmakers separately staged an event at the U.S. Capitol calling for the MDMA approval and also launched an art installation memorializing military veterans who die by suicide.
“FDA should remain firmly anchored in scientific evidence and data when evaluating new treatments,” the new letter, led by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Rand Paul (R-KY), says. “The potential for groundbreaking advancements in PTSD treatment is within reach, and we owe it to our veterans and other affected populations to review these potentially transformative therapies based on robust clinical and scientific evidence.”
Hellbound and Down 