Study Explores Demand for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy in U.S.

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 18, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The demand for psilocybin-assisted therapy (PSIL-AT) for major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD) varies from 24 to 62 percent depending on the eligibility criteria, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Psychedelics.

Syed F. Rab, M.D., from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, and colleagues estimated the number of U.S. patients with MDD, identified those in treatment, and examined who qualifies as having TRD to calculate the potential PSIL-AT demand for MDD and TRD. Using the exclusion criteria from the largest trials to date on PSIL-AT for MDD or TRD, a range of estimates was established.

The researchers note that due to disqualifying conditions, a considerable proportion of patients with MDD and TRD were ineligible for PSIL-AT. The percentage eligible was 24, 56, and 62 percent using lower-bound (stringent criteria), mid-range (focusing on likely real-world scenarios), and upper-bound (accounting for double counting for patients with multiple comorbidities) estimates. The removal of alcohol and substance use disorders as exclusion criteria largely influenced variance, as did removal of double counting from comorbid psychiatric and cardiovascular conditions.

"Our findings suggest that if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives the green light, psilocybin-assisted therapy has the potential to help millions of Americans who suffer from depression," Rab said in a statement. "This underscores the importance of understanding the practical realities of rolling out this novel treatment on a large scale."

One author disclosed ties to Sunstone Therapies; another author disclosed ties to Otsuka and Novartis.

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