Novel LSD Therapy Shows Promise for Anxiety Disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) affects 1 in 20 U.S. adults, with severe cases causing patients to isolate and become unable to work or maintain relationships. Standard medications like Zoloft and Paxil reduce anxiety symptoms by an average of 1.25 points on a 56-point anxiety scale—insufficient for some patients. UCSF neuroscientist Jennifer Mitchell is investigating a pharmaceutical formulation of LSD called MM120 as a potential treatment for the condition.
MM120 functions primarily by promoting neuroplasticity in the brain and increasing communication between brain regions, potentially addressing the rigid thinking underlying GAD. In an earlier phase published in JAMA, a single dose of MM120 was evaluated over 12 weeks in approximately 200 participants with moderate-to-severe GAD. The drug significantly alleviated symptoms, reducing them by five to six points on the anxiety scale beyond placebo effects—enough to reclassify moderate GAD as mild in some cases. Medical staff carefully monitored participants throughout the study.
Side effects were generally mild to moderate and included hallucinations, visual distortions, nausea, and headache, with prevalence higher at the highest dosage, which proved no more effective and will not be used in further trials. Nausea was reduced by restricting participants to light breakfasts and providing proactive anti-nausea medication. A major recruitment challenge is that people with the most disabling anxiety symptoms are least likely to leave their homes to participate. Skilled clinicians build rapport and carefully observe body language during screening to establish trust and enable vulnerability.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2025/10/430796/could-novel-therapy-calm-anxiety-millions-americans