Wellington: New Zealand has approved the use of pharmaceutical-grade MDMA to treat people with severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), allowing two psychiatrists to prescribe the drug under controlled medical conditions.
The approval was granted by New Zealand’s pharmaceutical regulator, Medsafe, on September 4, making the country only the second in the world to authorise pharmaceutical MDMA for PTSD treatment after Australia approved its use in 2023.
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour, who supported last year’s approval of magic mushrooms for people with severe depression, welcomed the decision and said PTSD can be life-altering and particularly difficult to treat. The Deputy PM noted that MDMA could be effective when used as part of psychedelic-assisted therapy.
Seymour added that New Zealand was committed to expanding access to innovative treatment options. PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after someone experiences or faces the threat of traumatic events, including death, combat and sexual assault.
MDMA-assisted treatment will be delivered together with psychotherapy and under strict clinical supervision. New Zealand’s Ministry of Health noted that the patients will not be provided with the drug to take home.
The treatment will take place in a controlled clinical setting under the supervision of an authorised psychiatrist and as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. The treatment will only be available to people aged 18 and over.
The approval comes as research into the medical use of MDMA continues internationally. In the United States, clinical trials are still being conducted after the US Food and Drug Administration rejected an application to legalise MDMA for medicinal use in 2024, citing insufficient evidence that the treatment was safe and effective.
New Zealand’s decision therefore represents a significant step in the country’s approach to psychedelic-assisted mental healthcare, while maintaining strict safeguards around how pharmaceutical MDMA is administered.
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