Israel's Health Ministry is preparing to launch its first large-scale national trial of MDMA and psilocybin for patients with chronic, moderate-to-severe PTSD who have not responded to standard medication or trauma-focused therapy.
The three-year study will enroll hundreds of carefully screened participants.
The effort responds to a sharp rise in PTSD cases after the October 7 attacks and the war that followed. Many patients don't fully recover with existing treatments, or drop out because confronting traumatic memories is too painful. Officials hope the trial will show whether these substances can help and offer an alternative for those whose current care isn't working.
Patients will receive the drugs only in licensed clinics under medical supervision, alongside intensive psychotherapy. The process includes preparation sessions, two or three monitored drug sessions lasting six to eight hours, and follow-up therapy to integrate the experience. Doses are supplied by the trial pharmacy on the day of treatment, and patients cannot take them home.
Officials stress that the substances are not a magic cure, do not replace psychotherapy, and are strictly non-recreational.
The program aims to meet growing demand for this kind of care while keeping it within a regulated system, and to produce clear evidence of its benefits and limits.
