Editorial Emerging therapeutic opportunities for psychedelic and related drugs
Susan Wonnacott, Gary J. Stephens, Trevor Sharp
April 1, 2026 DOI: 10.22541/au.177505774.48075799/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Editorial |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Alternative medicine Medline Broad spectrum Investigational drugs Drug approval Engineering ethics Intensive care medicine Psychotherapist |
| Key points | Introduces a Themed Issue on psychedelic drugs as potential therapies, summarizing mechanistic, preclinical, clinical, and regulatory aspects, and highlighting controversies and potential. |
Abstract
Increasing interest in psychedelic and related drugs as potential therapies for a wide spectrum of difficult to treat conditions that extend beyond neuropsychiatric disorders provided the impetus for this Themed Issue. This collection of reviews and original articles includes the mechanistic basis of how these drugs act, the current status of preclinical research and progress in clinical trials, and insight into the regulatory processes that determine clinical approval. In this Editorial we introduce these aspects and provide an overview of current controversies and challenges in the field, as well as highlighting the exciting potential that these drugs offer.