IUPHAR - invited review - Ibogaine - A legacy within the current renaissance of psychedelic therapy.
Pharmacological Research April 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106620 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Open-label Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ibogaine |
| Topics | Addiction Ibogaine Psychedelic-assisted therapy |
| Keywords | Addiction drug therapy Cyp2d6 Hallucinogen Qt interval Psychedelic addiction therapy Polypharmacology & metabolism |
| Citations | 37 |
| Key findings | Ibogaine and its metabolite noribogaine interact with multiple CNS targets, show predictive validity in animal models, and open-label pilot studies indicate positive benefit for addiction treatment. |
Abstract
Ibogaine is a powerful psychoactive substance that not only alters perception, mood and affect, but also stops addictive behaviors. Ibogaine has a very long history of ethnobotanical use in low doses to combat fatigue, hunger and thirst and, in high doses as a sacrament in African ritual contexts. In the 1960's, American and European self-help groups provided public testimonials that a single dose of ibogaine alleviated drug craving, opioid withdrawal symptoms, and prevented relapse for weeks, months and sometimes years. Ibogaine is rapidly demethylated by first-pass metabolism to a long-acting metabolite noribogaine. Ibogaine and its metabolite interact with two or more CNS targets simultaneously and both drugs have demonstrated predictive validity in animal models of addiction. Online forums endorse the benefits of ibogaine as an "addiction interrupter" and present-day estimates suggest that more than ten thousand people have sought treatment in countries where the drug is unregulated. Open label pilot studies of ibogaine-assisted drug detoxification have shown positive benefit in treating addiction. Ibogaine, granted regulatory approval for human testing in a Phase 1/2a clinical trial, joins the current landscape of psychedelic medicines in clinical development.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on ibogaine for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Anti-Addiction Drug Ibogaine and the Heart: A Delicate Relation Humans, animals | 2015 | Review | |
| Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence. | 2013 | Review | |
| Ibogaine, an anti-addictive drug: pharmacology and time to go further in development. A narrative review. | 2008 | Review | |
| A review of chemical agents in the pharmacotherapy of addiction. | 2002 | Review | |
| Engineering Safer Psychedelics for Treating Addiction. | 2021 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 29
- Adverse psychiatric effects of psychedelic drugs: a systematic review of case reports. Psychological Medicine November 20, 2024
- Oxa-Iboga alkaloids lack cardiac risk and disrupt opioid use in animal models. Nature Communications September 20, 2024
- μ-opioid receptor agonists and psychedelics: pharmacological opportunities and challenges. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2023
- Psychedelic iatrogenic structural dissociation: an exploratory hypothesis on dissociative risks in psychedelic use. Frontiers in Psychology March 4, 2025
- A lexicon for psychedelic research and treatment Drug Science, Policy and Law September 1, 2025
and 24 more in the library
Cites 78
- A non-hallucinogenic psychedelic analogue with therapeutic potential. Nature 2021
- Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Dose-Ranging Trial of Intravenous Ketamine as Adjunctive Therapy in Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) Molecular Psychiatry October 3, 2018
- Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World. Cell April 1, 2020
- Serotonin transporter-ibogaine complexes illuminate mechanisms of inhibition and transport. Nature May 1, 2019
- Noncompetitive Functional Inhibition at Diverse, Human Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Subtypes by Bupropion, Phencyclidine, and Ibogaine Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 1999
and 73 more in the library