Johns hopkins launches first home microdose psilocybin safety trial
NCT ID NCT06450210
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-stage study at Johns Hopkins University is testing whether very small, repeated doses of psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are safe for healthy people to take at home. Twenty volunteers will receive four different microdoses and a placebo on separate days in a double-blind design. Researchers will monitor blood pressure, heart rate, sobriety, and mental status to determine which doses could be safely used outside a clinic.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- psilocybin trihydrate (microdose)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that very low doses of psilocybin are safe to take at home without medical supervision, paving the way for future studies on potential benefits.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early Phase 1 safety study with only 20 healthy participants. It does not test whether microdosing actually helps any condition, and results may not apply to people with health issues.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
-
17 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2024
- Finished
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Jul 2026
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
21 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * 21 to 60 years old * Have given written informed consent * Have at least a high-school level of education or equivalent (e.g. GED) and be fluent in English * Be healthy and psychologically stable as determined by screening for medical and psychiatric problems via a personal interview, a medical questionnaire, a physical examination, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and routine medical blood and urinalysis laboratory tests * Agree to refrain from using any psychoactive drugs, including alcoholic beverages and nicotine, within 24 hours of each drug administration. The exception is caffeine. * Agree not to take any as needed (PRN) medications on the mornings of drug sessions * Agree not to take sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil, or similar medications within 72 hours of each drug administration. * Agree that for one week before each drug session, he/she will refrain from taking any nonprescription medication, nutritional supplement, or herbal supplement except when approved by the study investigators. Exceptions will be evaluated by the study investigators and will include acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and common doses of vitamins and minerals. * Licensed to drive (for driving simulator test). Exclusion Criteria: * Women who are pregnant (as indicated by a positive urine pregnancy test assessed at intake and before each drug session) or nursing; women who are of child-bearing potential and sexually active who are not practicing an effective means of birth control. * Cardiovascular conditions: coronary artery disease, stroke, angina, uncontrolled hypertension, a clinically significant ECG abnormality (e.g. atrial fibrillation, corrected QT interval (QTc) \> 450 msec), artificial heart valve, or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the past year * Epilepsy * Insulin-dependent diabetes; if taking oral hypoglycemic agent, then no history of hypoglycemia * Currently taking psychoactive drugs (prescribed or not) on a daily basis. This includes nicotine but excepts caffeine. * Currently taking on a regular (e.g. daily) basis any medications having a centrally-acting serotonergic effect, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). For individuals who have intermittent or PRN use of such medications, psilocybin sessions will not be conducted until at least five half-lives of the agent have elapsed after the last dose. * More than 20% outside the upper or lower range of ideal body weight according to Metropolitan Life height and weight table * History of schizophrenia spectrum disorder * History of bipolar I disorder * History of substance induced psychotic disorder * Current history of meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-5 criteria for a moderate or severe alcohol or drug use disorder (excluding caffeine and nicotine) * Have a first degree relative with bipolar I disorder, or schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Cardiovascular screening: To qualify for the study, blood pressure at screening will be less than 130 mmHg systolic, 80 mmHg diastolic, and 90 beats per minute; mean heart rate must also be no less than 40 beats per minute. Blood pressure will be taken while subjects are at rest and have been seated or supine for at least 5 minutes.
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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5510 Nathan Shock Drive
Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, United States
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