Psilocybin with or without Pimavanserin Pretreatment in Healthy Adults
Official title: PRISMatic: A Phase 1b Randomized, Double-Armed, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Psilocybin Efficacy With or Without Pimavanserin Pretreatment
Run by Johns Hopkins University · NCT07610135 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests whether a single 25 mg dose of psilocybin, given with or without pimavanserin pretreatment or placebo, affects mood and well-being in healthy adults over one month.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase1; Phase2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 21 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Johns Hopkins University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Baltimore, Maryland) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 29, 2026 |
| Main results expected | June 2028 |
| Study ends | December 2028 |
| Registry record updated | November 2, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07610135 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults aged 21–65 who are healthy, right-handed, fluent in English, and meet all consent and sobriety requirements.
✕Probably not a fit
Participants without the targeted receptor interactions or with differing neurophysiology may not experience mood benefits.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This early-phase trial in healthy adults investigates how a single oral dose of psilocybin influences mood and well-being, and whether pretreatment with pimavanserin or placebo changes these effects. Outcomes are measured using psychometric scales, autonomic markers, and functional MRI, with pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic modeling to understand underlying mechanisms. Participants are randomized to receive psilocybin with pimavanserin, psilocybin with placebo, or psilocybin with pimavanserin placebo, and assessments occur at 1 week and 1 month after dosing. The study aims to clarify receptor-level pathways that mediate psilocybin's mood-related effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could deepen understanding of how psilocybin modulates mood and well-being, potentially guiding future therapeutic strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research with psychedelic compounds has shown mood-related effects; this study adds a mechanistic, receptor-focused approach with healthy volunteers.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 21 to 65 years old * Provision of written informed consent * Fluency in English * At least high school level of education * Right-handed * Agree to abstain from any psychoactive drugs on the day prior to and the day of the drug administration session as demonstrated by a negative toxicology report. * Agree to consume approximately the same amount of caffeine-containing beverage (e.g., coffee, tea) that he/she consumes on a usual morning, before arriving at the research unit on the mornings of drug session days. If the participant does not routinely consume caffeinated beverages, he/she must agree not to do so on session days. * Agree not to take any PRN medications on the mornings of drug sessions * Agree that for one week before the 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. * Female participants of childbearing potential must agree to use a highly effective method of contraception throughout the study. * Highly effective methods are defined as those that, when used consistently and correctly (alone or in combination), are associated with a failure rate of less than 1% per year. * Condoms alone are not considered highly effective. * Abstinence is not considered a highly effective method. However, at the investigator's discretion, abstinence may be accepted if, based on the investigator's judgment and knowledge of the participant's usual and preferred lifestyle, it can be reasonably expected to result in 100% effectiveness. Exclusion Criteria: * Non-English speakers and those with language or hearing impairments * Left-handedness (assessed by the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory) * Any lifetime history of psychedelic use, including serotonergic compounds (e.g., psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT, 5-MeO-DMT) and nontraditional psychedelics (e.g., MDMA, ketamine, ibogaine) * History of psychiatric diagnosis in adulthood (≥18 years), including, but not limited to, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder I and II, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorder. * Current use of neuropsychiatric medications, including but not limited to typical/atypical antidepressants, antipsychotics, and stimulants. * Lifetime history of substance use disorder * Current (within past six months) substance use disorder of moderate or greater severity * Clinically significant suicidal ideation (with strong intent or means) within the past 6 months or lifetime history of suicide attempt, current suicidal ideation, or otherwise judged by a study clinician to be more than low risk for suicidality * Current use/positive toxicology for illicit drugs at screening and prior to drug administration session (includes illicit, non-prescribed, or prohibited substances such as amphetamines, barbiturates, buprenorphine, benzodiazepines, cocaine, MDMA, methadone, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP), and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)) * Nicotine user consuming the equivalent of ≥ 10 cigarettes/day * Altered gastrointestinal anatomy \[history of surgeries that promote a general intestinal malabsorption (e.g., jejunoileal bypass, jejunocolic bypass, roux-en-Y gastric bypass, vertical banded gastroplasty, gastric band, gastric stapling, sleeve gastrectomy, biliopancreatic diversion with partial gastrectomy, distal gastric bypass, duodenal switch)\] * Weight \< 40kg * Have a first degree relative with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders (except substance/medication-induced or due to another medical condition), or bipolar I disorder * MRI contraindications (e.g., claustrophobia incompatible with MRI scanning, medical device or implant incompatible with MRI, prior history as a metal worker and/or certain metallic objects in the body). Must complete MRI screening form and be approved by MRI technologist before each scan. * Unable or unwilling to perform study procedures, or inappropriate for further study participation as determined by the PI and/or study clinicians
Where it's running
-
Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research
Baltimore, Maryland, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: David B. Yaden, PhD — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Arozo Azimi
- Email: aazimi2@jh.edu
- Phone: 410-550-0007
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.