[LanzVonL]

This has been known for decades, since before most of us here were born. My question is, when do we lynch big pharma for suppressing it?

[cpncrunch]

It hasn't "been known", as there have never been any RCTs (and this is just a very small open-label trial). So we still have no idea whether or not this drug is actually of any use for PTSD or depression. We certainly can't that it "banishes PTSD" like the overhyped headline here says.

I remember all the studies on Ketamine that were posted to the front page of HN, and then we finally had a proper RCT which showed that, while ketamine was very effective in treating depression, the placebo was equally effective. Essentially it was hope that was resulting in the remission [1].

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37948938

[balfirevic]

> Essentially it was hope that was resulting in the remission

It might not be as clear cut as that: https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/does-anaesthesia-prove-keta...

[varispeed]

It has been known.

The thing with trials is chicken and egg. Big pharma ensures certain drugs are illegal and scientists cannot or have limited ways to study them. Some corrupt government departments even only permit studies if they are going to find out that those drugs are bad.

It's quite a dissonance that people pretend they don't see. Like with cannabis. Millions of chronic pain sufferers say it helps them and then you can look at studies, you can cherry-pick plenty that say it's a placebo.

Let's face it. Scientists, politicians are all corrupt and honest ones can easily get cast out or made fall out of the window.

[zone411]

Umm, did you read about this study? It was widely criticized for a very good reason. They administered a dose of ketamine/placebo when the participants were in surgery and under general anesthesia. Not what's commonly done, and it tells us approximately nothing about its effects when administered normally.

[xk_id]

Crazy that your first assumption is a conspiracy. Ibogaine would never represent any kind of competition to FDA approved pharmaceuticals, because of its cardiotoxicity: it can cause sudden cardiac arrest and death. There are many case studies of sudden death from ibogaine recorded in the literature.

[tacocataco]

When the 2nd prohibition ends, drug users will not start a war on sobriety.

Who would want to destroy people's lives and community for them doing what they want with their own body?

Except both mainstream political parties of course. Thank first past the post voting for our lack of competition in the electoral system.

[throwup238]

You're thinking of Anslinger and Hearst. Big pharma would be the first to jump on this stuff - most of the experimentation is already done for them, they can just stick to what they know which is running clinical trials.

[omeid2]

Big Pharma will not jump on anything that they can not patent, naturally occurring substances are not patent/copyrightable.

[gonzon]

thats like asking when do we lynch hackernews for banning the majority of people who would otherwise post here? sorry but theres a lot of money invested in particular agendas

[TaylorAlexander]

I mean the government probably made it illegal to investigate this thanks to the war on drugs, so we can’t put all the blame on pharma.

[varispeed]

Governments are made of people. People who like money and are more loyal to money than the voters. Voter can't buy politician a nice beach front property or placement at prestigious school for children. Big pharma can do that easily. They just need to make enough theatre for general public to believe they serve them and just let that cash roll in, while they make lives of millions a misery.

[LanzVonL]

Big pharma is the government.