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Home/Research/MDMA/Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development

MDMA for Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development

29 papers and 0 clinical trials exploring mdma as a treatment for medicinal chemistry & drug development.

Compoundempathogen

MDMA

MDMA is a synthetic empathogen that enhances monoamine release, producing prosocial and anxiolytic effects without frank hallucinosis. Two Phase III trials demonstrated significant PTSD symptom reductions, though FDA review raised concerns about blinding, durability, and safety characterisation.

Full MDMA profile
IndicationOver 300 million people worldwide experience depression, with many also suffering from related anxiety disorders.

Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development

Medicinal chemistry plays a crucial role in the development of novel psychedelic compounds, focusing on their molecular structures and interactions. Researchers utilise innovative methods to enhance safety and efficacy in psychedelic substances.

Full Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development profile

Academic Research

29 papers
Open Accessindividual

Acute effects of MDMA, MDA, lysine-MDMA, and lysine-MDA in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial in healthy participants

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover in 23 healthy volunteers, MDA produced longer‑lasting, stronger and more psychedelic‑like subjective and autonomic effects and more adverse reactions than equimolar MDMA. Lys‑MDA acted as a functional slow‑release prodrug that delayed onset and peak effects, whereas Lys‑MDMA did not release MDMA and produced no measurable effects, showing lysine conjugation can alter timing but not necessarily improve tolerability.

Published
September 25, 2025
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Straumann, I., Vizeli, P., Avedisian, I., Erne, L., Noorshams, D., Vukalovic, I., Eckert, A., Luethi, D., Rudin, D., Liechti, M. E.
Paywallindividual

MDMA pharmacokinetics: A population and physiologically based pharmacokinetics model-informed analysis

Using clinical, published and in vitro data, the authors developed and verified population and physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for MDMA which show that a high‑fat meal delays Tmax without changing overall exposure and that split dosing (2 h apart) lowers early AUC and delays Tmax compared with a single dose. The models further indicate MDMA is a potent CYP2D6 inhibitor but is unlikely to cause clinically meaningful drug–drug interactions via renal transporters, supporting model‑informed predictions of clinically relevant dosing regimens.

Published
November 26, 2024
Journal
Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology
Authors
Miner, N. B.
Open Accessindividual

Acute effects of R-MDMA, S-MDMA, and racemic MDMA in a randomized double-blind cross-over trial in healthy participants

In a randomized double-blind crossover in 24 healthy participants, S‑MDMA (125 mg) produced stronger stimulant-like subjective and cardiovascular effects and greater increases in prolactin, cortisol and oxytocin than R‑MDMA (125 and 250 mg) and racemic MDMA (125 mg), while R‑MDMA did not elicit more psychedelic-like effects. Pharmacokinetic data showed much longer elimination half-lives for R‑MDMA and evidence of CYP2D6 inhibition, suggesting the differences reflect potency and dosing rather than qualitatively distinct acute effects.

Published
August 23, 2024
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Straumann, I., Avedisian, I., Klaiber, A., Varghese, N., Eckert, A., Rudin, D., Luethi, D., Liechti, M. E.
Open Accessindividual

Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants

In a double‑blind, placebo‑controlled crossover study in 24 healthy adults, co‑administration of MDMA (100 mg) with LSD (100 µg) did not change the quality of LSD’s acute subjective effects but prolonged them and increased LSD plasma concentrations and elimination half‑life. The combination produced greater cardiovascular and pupil effects and higher oxytocin than LSD alone and therefore offered no advantage in efficacy or safety for psychedelic‑assisted therapy.

Published
May 31, 2023
Journal
Neuropsychopharmacology
Authors
Straumann, I., Ley, L., Holze, F., Becker, A. M., Klaiber, A., Wey, K., Duthaler, U., Varghese, N., Eckert, A., Liechti, M. E.
Open Accessindividual

Methylone, a rapid acting entactogen with robust anxiolytic and antidepressant-like activity

In male rats a single dose of methylone produced a rapid, robust and durable antidepressant-like effect in the forced swim test—reducing immobility by ~95% and lasting at least 72 hours—while also showing anxiolytic behaviour in the open field and exceeding the effect of fluoxetine. Fluoxetine pretreatment did not alter methylone’s effect, and behavioural patterns suggest methylone is less serotonergic than MDMA, supporting its potential as a fast-acting treatment for depression and anxiety.

Published
January 10, 2023
Journal
Frontiers in Psychiatry
Authors
Warner-Schmidt, J., Pittenger, C., Stogniew, M., Mandell, B., Olmstead, S. J., Kelmendi, B.
Open Accessindividual

Methylone and MDMA Pharmacokinetics Following Controlled Administration in Humans

In a first controlled human study, oral methylone (50–200 mg) showed rapid, dose‑proportional (linear) pharmacokinetics with Cmax and AUC increasing proportionally, Tmax ≈1.5–2 h and t1/2 ≈6–7 h. A validated LC–MS/MS assay quantified methylone, MDMA and metabolites and found the primary metabolite HMMC had much lower exposure (Cmax ~10–14× and AUC ~21–29× lower) and faster kinetics than the parent drug.

Published
November 23, 2022
Journal
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Authors
Poyatos, L., Lo Faro, A., Sprega, G., Malaca, S., Pichini, S., Huestis, M. A., Papaseit, E., Busardo, F., Farré, M., Beradinelli, D., Perez-Castillo, A.

Clinical Trials

0 trials

No clinical trials have been tagged with both MDMA and Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development yet.

Trials are continuously being added as new studies are registered.

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Search all MDMA papers Search all Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development trials Full MDMA profile Full Medicinal Chemistry & Drug Development profile