MAPS Capstone fund-raising campaign for psychedelic research reaches $30 million goal

MAPS - the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - has just announced in a press release that "Having raised $30 million in non-profit donations in less than six months, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) and the Psychedelic Science Funders Collaborative (PSFC) today announced the completion of the Capstone Campaign, a non-profit fundraising effort to fund the final research required to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If successful, this would be the first-ever psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to earn approval from the FDA.

Bolstered by multiple $1M+ donations from contributors focused on innovative approaches to mental health, and a challenge grant spearheaded by influential author and podcaster Tim Ferriss, the remarkable success of the Capstone Campaign illustrates the rapid mainstreaming of psychedelic research and fundraising.

The Capstone Campaign provides the funds needed for MAPS to complete Phase 3 clinical trials in the U.S., Canada, and Israel, and seek FDA approval for MDMA-assisted psychotherapy as a treatment for PTSD. Interim analysis of the MAPS-sponsored Phase 3 trials indicates a very high likelihood that MDMA-assisted psychotherapy will prove effective in treating PTSD for many sufferers.

"Winning FDA approval of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD could ultimately help millions of people, and that alone is a world-changing impact,” said Joe Green, social entrepreneur and co-founder of PSFC, which has partnered with MAPS on the Capstone Campaign and helped recruit donors. “We also believe this could be a tipping point for psychedelic medicine overall, leading to a mainstream understanding that psychedelic therapy has the potential to help treat many of the defining mental health crises of our time.”