Addiction Timeline

4,000 BCE

"Indigenous cultures native to Mexico and the southwestern United States have used the peyote cactus in rituals to treat a variety of physical and psychological ailments, including alcoholism, for over 6,000 years.(Ref 1,2) The Native American Church was formed in the 1800s."

Indigenous cultures; peyote; rituals; treatment; alcohol use disorder

1900s

"Iboga (sometimes spelled eboga or eboka) refers to a small variety of African plant species in the Apocynaceae family, principally Tabernanthe iboga and T. manii.(Ref 8) The active compound in this plant species is ibogaine... Iboga has been used for centuries as a medicine and sacrament in tribes of West Africa. Iboga is also used as an agent for alertness in hunter/gatherer tribes such as pygmy tribes in the Congo Basin of Central Africa.(Ref 9,10)"

anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder."

Ibogaine; medicine

1951

An early focus of LSD and mescaline research in the 1950s was alcoholism. Around the same time that Humphrey Osmond started research, other research teams studied the effects of mescaline and LSD on alcoholism and debated different methodologies for understanding the efficacy of psychedelics as a treatment for alcoholism.

Indigenous cultures; peyote; rituals; treatment; alcohol use disorder

1955

Harris Isbell administers doses of ibogaine of up to 300 mg to eight already detoxified morphine addicts at the U.S. Addiction Research Center in Lexington, Kentucky.

Ibogaine; dose; morphine use disorder

1956

On August 29, 1956, Bill Wilson (co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous [AA]) was given LSD at the Los Angeles Veterans Administration hospital under the supervision of Dr. Sidney Cohen and Gerald Heard. Wilson had been sober for over two decades by the time he tried LSD, but he had been convinced of its potential in treating his lingering depression. Not only did the experience help with his depression, but it offered him a spiritual experience akin to the one that helped him get sober years prior. (The prior experience was actually due to the effects of "The Belladonna Cure.") Wilson soon advocated for LSD as a treatment for addiction because of its potential to help fellows of AA achieve a spiritual experience necessary to their recovery. These events were discovered in an archive of Wilson's materials.

LSD; alcohol use disorder; twelve-step groups

1960

Purdue University Archives and Special Collections Charles Savage papers Patient Materials, 1960 - 1969 describes two former patients struggling with alcoholism were readmitted for additional LSD treatment under Dr. Walter Pahnke. The archival material contains information on Savage’s patients and personal correspondence with them. These documents have been copied so that confidential information, such as patient names, can be removed. The original documents are located in Series 14, Restricted Materials.

LSD, addiction, archival source, archive, fear, treatment

1963

A brief clinical report of an informal study utilizing a novel methodology featuring LSD in combination with hypnotherapy for the treatment of substance use disorder (SUD).

LSD; substance use disorder; addiction; hypnotherapy; treatment

1966

"LSD in Psychotherapy and Alcoholism" a review of the Second International Conference on the Use of LSD in psychotherapy held at South Oaks Hospital Amityville, New York focusing on the use of LSD in alcoholism treatment.

LSD; alcohol use disorder

1969

A journal article "A Controlled Comparison of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) and Dextroamphetamine in Alcoholics" describes a controlled comparison between LSD and dextroamphetamine as treatments in 72 alcoholic subjects with little to no psychotherapy and determined that LSD produced slightly better results but after a 6 months follow-up, results were the same between LSD and the dextroamphetamine treatment.

LSD; alcohol use disorder; dextroamphetamine

1974

A journal article "Peyote in the Treatment of Alcoholism Among American Indians" describes a treatment program involving both peyote ingestion and indigenous cultural set and setting of the Native American Church resulted in successful treatment of alcoholism.

Indigenous peoples; Peyote; mescaline; addiction; alcohol use disorder; treatment; set and setting

1986

U.S. Patent US4587243A granted in 05-06-1986 for treatment of cocaine and amphetamine abuse syndromes with ibogaine by patent inventor Howard S. Lotsof titled "Rapid method for interrupting the cocaine and amphetamine abuse syndrome". This patent is expired.

ibogaine; cocaine addiction; amphetamine addiction; treatment; dose; delivery

1989

U.S. Patent US4857523A granted in 08-15-1989 for treatment of alcohol dependency syndrome with ibogaine by patent inventor Howard S. Lotsof titled "Rapid method for attenuating the alcohol dependency syndrome". This patent is expired.

ibogaine; alcohol; dose; delivery; addiction

1990

Ibogaine was introduced to the addict community in 1990 by Howard Lotsof and Bob Sisko from the International Coalition for Addict Self Help (ICASH). The late Nico Adriaans, Josien Harms, and Geerte Frenken formed an informal organization, Dutch Addict Self Help (DASH), which today is called INTASH, in order to treat addicts with ibogaine.

addiction; self help; treatment; ICASH; DASH; INTASH

1991

U.S. Patent US5026697A granted in 06-25-1991 for treatment of alcohol dependency syndrome with ibogaine by patent inventor Howard S. Lotsof titled "Rapid method for interrupting or attenuating the nicotine/tobacco dependency syndrome". This patent is expired.

ibogaine; treatment; addiction; nicotine; tobacco

1992

U.S. Patent US5026697A granted in 10-06-1992 for treatment of poly-drug dependency syndromes with ibogaine by patent inventor Howard S. Lotsof titled "Rapid method for interrupting or attenuating poly-drug dependency syndromes". Same patent family as WIPO(PCT) application WO1991018609A1.

ibogaine; poly-drug addiction; treatment; dose; delivery; heroin; cocaine; alcohol; nicotine; caffeine; amphetamine; desoxyephedrine or methadone; drug combination

1993

FDA Advisory Panel meeting, chaired by Medical Review Officer Curtis Wright, is held to formally consider Investigational New Drug Application filed by Dr. Deborah Mash, Professor of Neurology at the University of Miami School of Medicine. Approval is given for human trials. The approved ibogaine dosage levels are 1, 2, and 5 mg/kg. The Phase I dose escalation study begins December 1993, but activity is eventually suspended (36).

FDA; ibogaine; treatment; human clinical trial; IND application

1994

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) holds a total of four Phase I/II protocol development meetings, which include outside consultants. The resulting draft protocol calls for the single administration of fixed dosages of ibogaine of 150 and 300 mg versus placebo for the indication of cocaine dependence (37).

NIDA; ibogaine; human clinical trial; cocaine; addiction; protocol

2003

A manual produced by scientific researcher and ibogaine proponent Howard Lotsof that covers ibogaine dosage, screening protocols, safety considerations.

ibogaine, addiction, withdrawal, opioid, nicotine, smoking, dose, dose regimen, psychotherapy, treatment, set and setting, safety

2008

A review titled "The ibogaine medical subculture" focuses on the use of ibogaine for the treatment of addiction and substance abuse through interviews, the internet, and collection of quantitative data.

Review; addiction; interviews; quantitative data

2010

In 2010, Dr. Gabor Maté became interested in the traditional Amazonian plant medicine ayahuasca and its potential for treating addictions. He partnered with a Peruvian Shipibo ayahuasquero (traditional shamanic healer) and began leading multi-day retreats for addiction treatment, including ones in a Coast Salish First Nations community that were the subject of an observational study by health researchers from the University of Victoria and the University of British Columbia.

Gabor Maté; ayahuasca; Canada; plant medicine

2011

Health Canada ordered Dr. Gabor Maté to stop treating addiction patients with ayahuasca. Article published "B.C. doctor (Dr. Gabor Maté) told to stop using hallucinogenic tea to help addicts." Cessation of treatment practice was due to ayahuasca being a controlled substance in Canada and Health Canada threatened to arrest Dr. Maté if he did not immediately stop his activities with ayahuasca for addition treatment.

Canada; indigenous knowledge; Vancouver; addiction; treatment; ayahuasca; DMT; sex addiction; cocaine; heroin; methamphetamine; Gabor Maté

2014

A small pilot study titled "Pilot Study of the 5-HT2AR Agonist Psilocybin in the Treatment of Tobacco Addiction" by researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine involving 15 patients describes psilocybin in treatment of tobacco addiction results in abstinence in 80% of participants at 6-month follow up and demonstrates safety and efficacy.

5HT2A receptor; addiction; tobacco; nicotine; psilocybin; substance use disorder; safety and feasibility study; smoking cessation treatment; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

2015

A Phase 2 clinical trial study to evaluate the feasibility and estimate the efficacy of psilocybin-facilitated treatment for cocaine use. The study will also monitor the impact of psilocybin-facilitated treatment on the use of other drugs and outcomes relevant to cocaine involvement (e.g., criminal involvement).

Cocaine; addiction; psilocybin treatment

2016

A follow-up study titled "Long-term Follow-up of Psilocybin-facilitated Smoking Cessation" by researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. At 12 months follow-up 12/15 original participants returned for follow up and nine participants (60%) were confirmed as smoking abstinent.

Psilocybin; smoking cessation; tobacco addiction; nicotine; long term follow-up; cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

2017

A journal article titled "Treatment of opioid use disorder with ibogaine: detoxification and drug use outcomes" shows treatment of opioid use disorder with ibogaine n=30, results show decreased Addiction Severity Index Composite (ASIC) score with 50% of subjects report no opioid use 1 month post treatment.

Treatment, opioid use disorder, dose, heroin addiction, oxycodone addiction, detoxification, opioid dependence, cocaine dependence, NMDA receptor antagonist, glial-neurotrophic factor (GDNF)

2017

W.O. Patent Application WO2018195455. titled "ASSESSING AND TREATING PSYCHEDELIC-RESPONSIVE SUBJECTS" An international patent application that describes methods and compositions identifying a likely positive response to a psychedelic agent in a mental or physical aspect including addiction.

Treatment; LSD, psilocybin, DOI, LA-SS-Az, 2C-BCB, ayahuasca, mescaline, 5-meo-DMT, ibogaine, addiction, mental disorders

2018

An interview with the head of psychedelic research for the center for neuropsychopharmacology at Imperial College London, Dr. Carhart-Harris regarding the use of psychedelics in clinical studies including research in tobacco and alcohol addiction treatment.

LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, psychotherapy, psychedelic assisted therapy, treatment, obsessive compulsive disorder, end-of-life anxiety, depression, treatment-resistant depression, tobacco addiction, alcohol use disorder, eating disorders, PTSD, set and setting

2018

U.S. patent US20170020894A1 granted in 09-04-2018 titled "Bile acid receptor agonism for treating addiction" describing compositions and methods for treating addiction to a dopaminergic psychostimulant including MDMA, PCP, ketamine…etc

dopaminergic receptor agonist; treatment; addiction; MDMA; PCP; ketamine

2019

A journal article titled "Short-Term Treatment Effects of a Substance Use Disorder Therapy Involving Traditional Amazonian Medicine" describes a study at the Takiwasi Center offering substance use disorder treatment program involving Ayahuasca and found preliminary results showing effectiveness of treatment.

Ayahuasca; treatment; substance use disorder; addiction; Traditional Amazonian Medicine; Takiwasi Center

2020

U.S. patent application US20210085671A1 filed on 11-11-2020 titled "Compositions and methods comprising a combination of serotonergic drugs" describing compositions and methods comprising a first serotonergic drug and a second serotonergic drug such as a purified psilocybin derivative, a purified cannabinoid, a purified terpene, a purified tryptamine, purified LSD, and/or purified MDMA to treat psychiatric disorders including addiction.

Drug combination; addiction; psychiatric disorders

2021

A phase 1 clinical trial to determine the safety of psilocybin in adult patients with opioid use disorder concurrently taking buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone®).

psilocybin; opioid use disorder

2021

U.S. patent US11207322B2 granted in 12-28-2021 titled "Method and composition related to combination therapy for addiction" describing methods of treating or preventing an addictive behavior in a subject by administering to the subject an effective amount of a 5-HT2C receptor agonist in combination with a DA D3/D4 receptor antagonist such as mCPP.

mCPP; addiction; 5HT2C receptor agonist; DA D3/D4 receptor antagonist

2022

A proof-of-concept randomized clinical trial of psilocybin-enhanced psychotherapy versus treatment-as-usual among individuals being treated for methamphetamine use disorder is pending to start.

psilocybin; psychotherapy; methamphetamine use disorder