Anti-addiction Drug Ibogaine Prolongs the Action Potential in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.
Lena Rubi, Daniel Eckert, Stefan Boehm, Karlheinz Hilber, Xaver Koenig
Cardiovascular toxicology April 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1007/s12012-016-9366-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Human ventricular-like cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells |
| Interventions | Ibogaine Noribogaine |
| Topics | Ibogaine Addiction |
| Keywords | Action potential repolarization Anti-addiction drug ibogaine Cardiac arrhythmias Human cardiomyocytes Heart risks Impact heart function Researchers Discovery Experimental proof |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key findings | Therapeutic concentrations of ibogaine and noribogaine significantly retard action potential repolarization in human cardiomyocytes, indicating a cardiac arrhythmia risk. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is a plant alkaloid used as anti-addiction drug in dozens of alternative medicine clinics worldwide. Recently, alarming reports of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias and cases of sudden death associated with the ingestion of ibogaine have accumulated. Using whole-cell patch clamp recordings, we assessed the effects of ibogaine and its main metabolite noribogaine on action potentials in human ventricular-like cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Therapeutic concentrations of ibogaine and its long-lived active metabolite noribogaine significantly retarded action potential repolarization in human cardiomyocytes. These findings represent the first experimental proof that ibogaine application entails a cardiac arrhythmia risk for humans. In addition, they explain the clinically observed delayed incidence of cardiac adverse events several days after ibogaine intake. We conclude that therapeutic concentrations of ibogaine retard action potential repolarization in the human heart. This may give rise to a prolongation of the QT interval in the electrocardiogram and cardiac arrhythmias.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on ibogaine for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noribogaine is a G-protein biased κ-opioid receptor agonist. | 2015 | Experimental study with binding experiments, functional assays, and computational simulations | |
| Anti-addiction drug ibogaine inhibits hERG channels: a cardiac arrhythmia risk. Human cells | 2014 | Experimental study | |
| Anti-addiction drug ibogaine inhibits voltage-gated ionic currents: a study to assess the drug's cardiac ion channel profile. Heterologously expressed human ion channels and guinea pig cardiomyocytes | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| Deconstructing the Iboga Alkaloid Skeleton: Potentiation of FGF2-induced Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Release by a Novel Compound. C6 glioma cells | 2016 | Laboratory study | |
| Ibogaine signals addiction genes and methamphetamine alteration of long-term potentiation. Rat brain models | 2002 | Review with experimental data |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Ibogaine as a treatment for substance misuse: Potential benefits and practical dangers. Progress in Brain Research 2018
- Cardiovascular effects and safety of classic psychedelics. Nature cardiovascular research February 1, 2025
- The science of psychedelic medicine. Nature Medicine February 6, 2026
- The therapeutic effects of psychedelics for opioid use disorder: A systematic review of clinical studies. Psychiatry Research June 1, 2025
- Rare but relevant: Ibogaine and cardiovascular complications-prolonged QT interval and ventricular arrhythmias. Addiction January 20, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 12
- The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation Molecules January 29, 2015
- Medication Development of Ibogaine as a Pharmacotherapy for Drug Dependencea. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences May 1, 1998
- Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence. Current Drug Abuse Reviews March 1, 2013
- Fatalities temporally associated with the ingestion of ibogaine. Journal of Forensic Sciences March 1, 2012
- Ascending-dose study of noribogaine in healthy volunteers: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and tolerability. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology February 1, 2015
and 7 more in the library