Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence
This review article (2013) reviews the progress and obstacles of ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence (e.g. opioids, alcohol) from 'underground' to controlled clinical trials.
Abstract
Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid derived from Tabernanthe iboga, a plant used in initiatory rituals in West Central Africa. Largely because of ibogaine’s status as a Schedule I substance in the U.S., the development of ibogaine’s use in the treatment of drug addiction took place outside conventional clinical and medical settings. This article reviews the history of ibogaine’s use in the treatment of drug addiction, and discusses progress made towards, and obstacles blocking, the establishment of controlled clinical trials of ibogaine’s efficacy. Preclinical research has generally supported anecdotal claims that ibogaine attenuates withdrawal symptoms and reduces drug cravings. Concerns about ibogaine’s safety, as well as a dearth of solid data from human studies, have hampered progress in its development as an approved medication. This article outlines major findings from preclinical studies, discusses concerns about ibogaine’s safety, and details previous and ongoing research on ibogaine’s use as an anti-addictive treatment for humans.
Research Summary of 'Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence'
Introduction
Brown and colleagues place ibogaine in historical and cultural context as a naturally occurring indole alkaloid derived from Tabernanthe iboga, long used in West Central African ritual and later explored in Western psychiatric and addiction contexts. Early anecdotal reports and a body of preclinical work raised the possibility that ibogaine can attenuate opiate withdrawal and reduce drug self-administration, but regulatory scheduling, safety concerns and a predominance of informal, non‑controlled treatments have limited conventional clinical development. The paper reviews ibogaine's ethnographic roots, the emergence of an informal “ibogaine medical subculture,” and the stalled attempts to conduct controlled trials in the United States and Europe. This review sets out to summarise the available preclinical pharmacology, human case reports and small clinical studies, and the safety record of ibogaine, with particular attention to evidence bearing on its efficacy as an ‘‘addiction interrupter’’ and the obstacles to its development as an approved medication. The authors also describe ongoing observational studies intended to address gaps in long‑term outcome data and identify directions for future research and risk‑management practices.
Expert Research Summaries
Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.
Full Text PDF
Full Paper PDF
Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.
Study Details
- Study Typemeta
- Journal
- Compound
- Topic
- APA Citation
Brown, T. (2013). Ibogaine in the treatment of substance dependence. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 6(1), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.2174/15672050113109990001
References (8)
Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom
Alper, K. R., Lotsof, H. S., Kaplan, C. D. · Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2007)
Cappendijk, S. L. T., Dzoljic, M. R. · European Journal of Pharmacology (1993)
Alper, K. R., Lotsof, H. S., Frenken, G. M. N. et al. · The American Journal on Addictions (2010)
McKenna, D. · ACS Chemical Neuroscience (2004)
Krebs, T. S., Johansen, P. Ø. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2012)
Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)
Maclean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2011)
Griffiths, R. R., Richards, W. A., Mccann, U. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2006)
Cited By (29)
Papers in Blossom that reference this study
Meinhardt, M., Skorodumov, I., Walter, F. et al. · Research Square (2026)
Bagdasarian, F. A., Hansen, H. D., Chen, J. et al. · ACS Chemical Neuroscience (2024)
Zafar, R., Siegel, M., Harding, R. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2023)
Henriques, G. M., Anjos-Santos, A., Rodrigues, I. R. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2021)
Ona, G., Rocha, J. M., Bouso, J. C. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2021)
Breeksema, J. J., Niemeijer, A. R., Krediet, E. et al. · CNS Drugs (2020)
Davis, A. K., Averill, L. A., Sepeda, N. D. et al. · Chronic Stress (2020)
Argento, E., Capler, R., Thomas, G. et al. · Drug and Alcohol Review (2019)
Lason, W., Carnicella, S., Mash, D. C. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2019)
Schenberg, E. E. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)
Show all 29 papersShow fewer
Steinberg, C., Deyell, M. W. · Journal of Arrhythmia (2018)
Malcolm, B., Polanco, M., Barsuglia, J. P. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2018)
Barsuglia, J. P., Polanco, M., Palmer, R. et al. · Progress in Brain Research (2018)
Davis, A. K., Barsuglia, J. P., Windham-Herman, A. M. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2017)
Forstmann, M., Sagioglou, C. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)
Brown, T. K., Alper, K. · The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse (2017)
Frampton, C. M., Yazar-Klosinski, B., Nollar, G. E. · The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse (2017)
Wilkins, C., Dos Santos, R. G., Solá, J. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2017)
Lavaud, C., Massiot, G. · Progress in the Chemistry of Organic Natural Products (2017)
Morgan, C. J. A., McAndrew, A., Stevens, T. et al. · Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences (2017)
Schenberg, E. E., de Castro Comis, M. A., Alexandre, J. F. M. et al. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2016)
Dos Santos, R. G., Bouso, J. C., Hallak, J. E. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2016)
Garcia-Romeu, A., Kersgaard, B., Addy, P. H. · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (2016)
Haden, M., Emerson, B., Tupper, K. W. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2016)
Marta, C. J., Ryan, W. C., Kopelowicz, A. et al. · The American Journal on Addictions (2015)
Liester, M. B. · Current Drug Abuse Reviews (2015)
Koenig, X., Hilber, K. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2015)
Schenberg, E. E., de Castro Comis, M. A., Chaves, T. V. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)
Winkelman, M. J. · Current Drug Abuse Reviews (2014)
Your Personal Research Library
Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.