--- title: Ecstasy: FDA Approves Trial of MDMA as PTSD Treatment description: The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of ecstasy in large-scale trials as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder canonical: https://time.com/4586014/fda-ecstasy-mdma-ptsd-treatment-trial/ author: Suyin Haynes article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-11-30T15:50:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T02:03:17.836Z article:section: Health og:title: FDA Approves Large-Scale Trial of Ecstasy as PTSD Treatment og:description: The Phase 3 trial is last step on the way to approval as a prescription drug og:url: https://time.com/4586014/fda-ecstasy-mdma-ptsd-treatment-trial/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: FDA Approves Large-Scale Trial of Ecstasy as PTSD Treatment twitter:description: The Phase 3 trial is last step on the way to approval as a prescription drug twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # A Large Study of Ecstasy for PTSD Gets the Green Light by [Suyin Haynes](https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Nov 30, 2016 3:50 PM UTC by [Suyin Haynes](https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/) ## Suyin Haynes Nov 30, 2016 3:50 PM UTC The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of MDMA in large-scale trials as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). [Small scale studies](http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2004887,00.html?iid=sr-link1) have previously used the drug, also known as the party-drug ecstasy, to alleviate some of the symptoms of PTSD. As reported by the [_New York_ _Times_,](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/ptsd-mdma-ecstasy.html?%5Fr=0) the FDA green lit a Phase 3 clinical trial, which is significant as it marks the final stage of testing before it can be submitted for approval as a prescription drug. Dr. Charles R. Marmar, the head of psychiatry at New York University’s Langone School of Medicine and a leading PTSD researcher, told the _Times_ that he was “cautious but hopeful.” [Study participants](http://jop.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/08/29/0269881112456611.abstract) have previously reported significant improvements in their condition following a course of MDMA therapy, and researchers have been optimistic about the future of the drug as a form of treatment. “If they can keep getting good results, it will be of great use,” Marmar said. However, he also voiced some caution, which was echoed by other reactions to the FDA’s approval. “It’s a feel-good drug, and we know people are prone to abuse it,” he said. Through a spokeswoman, the FDA declined to comment to the _Times_, citing regulations that prohibit disclosing information about drugs that are being developed. \[[_NYT_](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/29/us/ptsd-mdma-ecstasy.html?%5Fr=0)\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4586014/fda-ecstasy-mdma-ptsd-treatment-trial/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4586014/fda-ecstasy-mdma-ptsd-treatment-trial/"},"headline":"A Large Study of Ecstasy for PTSD Gets the Green Light","datePublished":"2016-11-30T15:50:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T02:03:17.836Z","description":"The Phase 3 trial is last step on the way to approval as a prescription drug","url":"https://time.com/4586014/fda-ecstasy-mdma-ptsd-treatment-trial/","keywords":["Drugs","Food and Drug Administration","ecstasy"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Suyin Haynes","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/suyin-haynes/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/drugs/","name":"Drugs"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4586014/fda-ecstasy-mdma-ptsd-treatment-trial/","name":"A Large Study of Ecstasy for PTSD Gets the Green Light"}}]}] ```