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Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) and 60 other Members of the House of Representatives have sent a bipartisan letter to President Biden and administration officials, emphasizing the need for new treatments for PTSD and advocating for MDMA-Assisted Therapy (MDMA-AT) as a potential solution to prevent suicide among veterans. The letter, co-led by Reps. Bergman (MI-01), Correa (CA-46), and Panetta (CA-19), also urges the FDA to rely on scientific evidence in its forthcoming decision on MDMA-AT approval, expected within the next week.
MDMA-AT has demonstrated significant promise, with 71% of phase-three trial participants no longer meeting PTSD diagnostic criteria after three eight-hour sessions. Additionally, 86.5% of participants experienced "clinically significant" improvements in their PTSD symptoms, surpassing current best treatment outcomes.
The FDA approval process has faced challenges from external groups attempting to discredit this treatment. While public input is crucial in drug approval processes, the letter argues that biased anecdotes should not outweigh scientific trial data, especially when rejection could cost servicemembers' and veterans' lives.
The letter states: “Thousands of Veterans suffering from PTSD continue to take their lives each year. Current treatments clearly are not working well enough, and our Veterans can no longer wait. If the data and evidence show that MDMA-AT is safe and effective at relieving the suffering that many Veterans face, then we owe it to them and the millions of others who are living with PTSD to make this treatment option available to them.”
You can read the letter here.