New Zealand Approves Use of Party Drug MDMA to Treat Trauma
The approvals cover controlled MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for adults with severe PTSD, and New Zealand becomes the second country to allow the treatment.
- On Friday, MedSafe approved Wellington-based Gary Wynn and Auckland-based Tom Paterson to prescribe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA for severe post-traumatic stress disorder, marking the first time New Zealand has authorized the synthetic drug for therapeutic use.
- Clinical evidence shows MDMA reduces activity in the brain region associated with fear, enabling patients to process trauma. New Zealand's regulatory shift aligns with Australia, which authorized MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in 2023.
- A standard course involves three rounds totaling 54 hours of therapy, with each cycle expected to cost about $15,000. The Ministry mandates treatment occur in controlled clinical settings, explicitly prohibiting patients from taking medication home.
- Associate Health Minister David Seymour championed the move, stating MDMA "can be very effective at treating PTSD through psychedelic-assisted therapy." Seymour emphasized New Zealand is committed to opening access to "innovative treatments" with strict safeguards.
- While New Zealand advances, the United States Federal Drug Administration rejected legalizing MDMA's medicinal use in 2024, citing insufficient evidence of safety and effectiveness. Clinical trials continue internationally evaluating long-term outcomes of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
46 Articles
46 Articles
The decision opens the door to the controlled therapeutic use of this psychedelic substance to treat cases of traumatic experiences.
MDMA can help to treat post-traumatic stress disorders. Until now, the therapy with the party drug was only allowed in Australia. Now, two physicians in New Zealand are allowed to do so – under strict conditions.
It was the second country after Australia to allow the medicinal use of MDMA.
In the future, New Zealand will allow MDMA to treat post-traumatic stress disorders. Therapy is subject to strict conditions.
In New Zealand, Medsafe has approved a prescription for MDMA for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTBS).
Treating post-traumatic stress disorders is not easy. New Zealand is therefore taking a new path. According to government reports, MDMA could prove to be very effective.
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