Beond shares ibogaine safety data with ARPA-H for PTSD research

Beond shares ibogaine data with ARPA-H

Beond, a physician-led ibogaine treatment center, has announced its collaboration with the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) by providing a de-identified clinical dataset from 250 patients treated with ibogaine at its Cancún, Mexico facility. This initiative comes as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) increases federal investment in ibogaine research, according to a report by ACCESS Newswire.

What the data includes

The dataset includes electrocardiogram (ECG) data, records of adverse events, and changes in symptoms related to addiction, PTSD, and depression. Each patient received ibogaine as a standalone treatment, and all data was collected with patient consent. Beond ensures the accuracy and completeness of the data through reviews by board-certified physicians, including a psychiatrist.

Role of ARPA-H

ARPA-H will independently analyze the data alongside its research collaborators and the FDA. Rafid Fadul, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer of ARPA-H, emphasized the agency's mission to expedite biomedical discoveries while maintaining safety standards. "Starting from real-world clinical experience helps us design ibogaine trials that protect patients and reach a clear answer sooner," Fadul stated.

Importance of cardiac safety

Sidney Peykar, MD, a Senior Cardiology Advisor at Beond, highlighted the importance of cardiac safety in ibogaine research. "Ibogaine's most serious known risk is to the heart's rhythm," Peykar noted, adding that the dataset's ECG data is crucial for setting appropriate cardiac screening protocols in clinical trials.

Why it matters

This collaboration marks a significant step in advancing ibogaine research, particularly for conditions like PTSD and addiction, where treatment options are limited. Beond's contribution of real-world data aims to support rigorous scientific inquiry into ibogaine's therapeutic potential and safety. "This project isn't about what we believe. It's about what the data show," said Tom Feegel, co-founder and CEO of Beond.

Beond's efforts are part of a broader initiative to explore ibogaine's potential under federal scrutiny, potentially paving the way for its safe use in the United States.