Compass' Psilocybin Therapy Proves Helpful In Treating Anorexia: Clinical Trial Shows

UC-San Diego authors assessed psilocybin therapy’s potential as a treatment for anorexia nervosa.

They recently shared what are believed to be the first results from such a research study, and the findings look promising.

Published in the Nature Medicine journal, the open-label study outcomes reveal COMPASS Pathways CMPS synthetic psilocybin COMP360 treatment as a potential therapy for anorexia nervosa.

See Also: Compatibility Of Psilocybin & SSRIs For Depression, COMPASS Looks At 'Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies'

The assessment of the safety, efficacy and tolerability of a single 25-milligram dose of COMP360 paired with psychological support in 10 female patients with anorexia nervosa showed:

• Significant reductions in eating disorder psychopathology sustained after three months post-administration in 40% of participants

• Significant reductions in shape concerns after one month, and in weight concerns after three months

• 50% participants showed an increase in body mass index (BMI) after three months

• Adverse events such as headache, fatigue and nausea were mild and temporary, with no serious adverse events reported.

• 90% of the participants endorsed feeling more positive about life endeavors

• 80% said the experience was one of the top five most meaningful of their life

• 70% reported experiencing a shift in personal identity and overall quality of life.

Anorexia nervosa is one of psychiatry’s biggest challenges since “there is a high risk of dying from suicide or other causes,” study author Dr. Walter H. Kaye explained. The research team hopes this preliminary research proves to be “an important step” in finding new and better options for this patient population.

Kaye's colleague, Dr. Stephanie Knatz Peck, added that there are no proven treatments to reverse core symptoms in anorexia to date. “Even after or in spite of weight stabilization, people with anorexia often continue to suffer with debilitating psychological symptoms that place them at risk for relapse and life impairment," she said.

What these findings suggest is that a subset of people experienced significant improvements in eating disorder psychopathology.

“Our hope is that this study provides a pathway to continue to find better ways to address the psychology of anorexia from the inside out,” she added.

COMPASS intends to build on the study’s “promising preliminary evidence” of COMP360’s treatment potential for people with anorexia nervosa toward a larger Phase 2 clinical study, according to CMO Dr. Guy Goodwin.

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Photo: Benzinga edit with photo by Geralt on Pixabay.