Mebufotenin nasal spray shows rapid antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant depression trial
Phase 2b trial finds single-dose synthetic 5-MeO-DMT provides benefits lasting at least eight weeks, but experts urge caution
A new phase 2b clinical trial published in JAMA reports that a single-dose nasal spray of mebufotenin (5-MeO-DMT), a synthetic version of a compound found in Sonoran Desert toad venom, produced rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in patients with difficult-to-treat depression. However, independent experts caution that the benefits were incomplete and the study excluded patients with suicidality, leaving questions about safety and long-term maintenance.