An Israeli Clinical Trial of Ibogaine for PTSD

About 7 in 10 people will live through a traumatic event. For some, it never ends. Roughly 1 in 25 people develop PTSD in their lifetime, and about 4 in 10 patients are not helped enough by today's recommended treatments. Since October 7 and the war that followed, Israel faces a mental-health emergency, with estimates of more than half a million additional PTSD cases. The attack lasted a day. For survivors, it hasn't ended. What is ibogaine? Ibogaine is a natural compound from the root bark of an African shrub. In 2024, Stanford researchers reported in Nature Medicine on 30 US Special Operations veterans. One month after a single treatment, 86% no longer met the criteria for PTSD, and most who improved were still doing well a year later. These results are promising, but not enough. The study was observational, focused on elite soldiers included only men, and the treatment was given at a private clinic in Mexico. Ibogaine also carries heart risks. That's why it must be studied in hospitals, carefully. Our study A safety-first clinical trial with 20 women and men living with severe PTSD from military or civilian trauma, who have not improved after both psychotherapy and medication. It will run at Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, together with Tel Aviv University's Institute for Psychedelic Research and MAPS Israel. • One carefully dosed ibogaine session in hospital, with continuous heart monitoring and at least three nights of inpatient care • Psychological preparation, support during the session, and integration afterward • 12 months of follow-up, plus referral for ongoing therapy • Results shared openly with the medical and scientific community worldwide The team Prof. Bernard Lerer, Lead Investigator (Hadassah) · Prof. Talma Hendler, Tel Aviv Site Lead (TAU Institute for Psychedelic Research) · Dr. Keren Tzarfaty, Therapy Lead, Co-founder & CEO of MAPS Israel · Dr. Nimrod (Jackob) Keynan, Scientific Design, co-first author of the Stanford ibogaine study How your gift helps Our goal is $1,000,000. Here is what it makes possible: • Getting the green light Before anyone can be treated, the study needs approval from Israel's Ministry of Health, and two hospitals must be fully prepared: trained medical and therapy teams, heart monitoring, and strict safety procedures. • Treating 20 people who have run out of options Each participant receives careful psychological preparation, one ibogaine session in a hospital with round-the-clock heart monitoring, at least three nights of inpatient care, and therapeutic support afterward. • Turning hope into evidence We follow every participant for a full year, analyze the results, and share them openly, so that doctors everywhere, including those caring for veterans in the US, will know whether this treatment can be offered safely. Every gift, of any size, brings us closer to a real answer for people who have tried everything else. What we learn in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv will reach veterans and trauma survivors across the US and around the world.