Doctors plan the first clinical trial of ecstasy in the UK, to investigate benefits to the traumatised survivors of child abuse, rape and war, following a highly successful US trial. The trial involved 20 people who had been in therapy and on pills for an average of 19 years. Twelve were given MDMA – the chemical compound found in ecstasy. The rest had placebo pills.
The response rate was a remarkable 83% – 10 out of the 12 showed significant improvement two months after the second of two MDMA therapy sessions, compared with 25% of those on the placebo. There were no serious side-effects or long-term problems.