President Donald Trump said that the University of Miami has given its original 1994 investigational new drug application for ibogaine to the federal government, a move he said would accelerate development of the psychedelic substance as a treatment for serious mental illness.
The gift aims to speed work on the substance as a possible treatment for serious mental illness suffered by veterans.
The 1994 application was the original filing that made early research into ibogaine possible.
Trump made the announcement on Aug. 18 in a Truth Social post.
“Today I am announcing that Secretary Kennedy has received a Historic Gift from the University of Miami, who has given the Federal Government its original 1994 Ibogaine Investigational New Drug application,” he wrote.
“This will give everyone direct access to the foundational FDA authorization to accelerate its development as a medical treatment in the U.S. This is HUGE! Special THANK YOU to the University of Miami, who has done this to ensure that Americans are helped as quickly as possible.”
Trump tied the donation directly to an executive order he signed in April. That order sought to accelerate medical treatments for serious mental illness, with a specific focus on psychedelic drugs including ibogaine.
“In April, I signed a very important Executive Order to accelerate medical treatments for serious mental illness — Specifically, psychedelic drugs, including IBOGAINE,” the president wrote. “This is something that has helped so many of our amazing VETERANS and true American Heroes who were here in the Oval Office with me, and Joe Rogan.”
Trump said the university’s action builds on steps already taken since April, including substantial Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) research funding, collaboration between HHS and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Food and Drug Administration guidance.
The president stressed the need to move quickly to bring potential new treatments to market.
“We are moving FAST, so that our Veterans with serious mental illness have a RIGHT TO TRY here in the U.S.,” he wrote. “We hope to see more companies and institutions join us in this very important work. Our Veterans DESERVE it!”
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has fully supported the administration’s efforts to speed up experimental treatments.
“Thanks to the leadership of President Trump, under this historic Executive Order, @HHSGov will accelerate research, approval, and access to new mental health treatments, including psychedelic therapies such as ibogaine,” Kennedy said after the April order.
At a Senate hearing in April, Kennedy described ibogaine as the “most promising treatment for depression and PTSD that anybody’s ever seen.”
