Perspectives: Psychedelic Therapies Coming To Florida; Steps To Mitigate Opioid Epidemic Are Backfiring
Read recent commentaries about pharmaceutical issues.
The FDA has now granted breakthrough therapy designation to several psychedelic-based therapies: two psilocybin-based therapies for the treatment of depression, LSD for anxiety, and MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD.) Florida already has begun preparing for the advent of psychedelic-based therapies, as many psychedelic drug development companies have relocated here alongside the already high concentration of entrepreneurs and investment funds advancing the psychedelic therapeutic ecosystem. (Sam Clark, 5/21)
Buprenorphine, the only drug currently available at pharmacies to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. It's an unfortunate side effect of a pharmacy system under pressure and, ironically, regulations that were meant to curb the opioid epidemic in the first place. (5/20)
Thanks to new regulatory frameworks like the Food and Drug Administration’s Breakthrough Therapy designation, drugs are coming to market faster than ever. A 2024 analysis of drugs included in this program showed they had 23% shorter clinical development timelines than those that were not part of the program, with no negative effects on their safety profiles. (Jenna Phillips, 5/22)