Highlights Oct 26 - Nov 1, 2026
new every Sunday
This week brought sharper evidence on how psychedelics differ in the brain, alongside consequential moves in pharmaceutical investment and federal planning. Regulatory debate also exposed unresolved divisions over access, therapy, and trial safeguards.
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01
Why pharmaceutical companies are investing billions in psychedelic drugs despite regulatory setbacks and unresolved safety questions
Nature examines billion-dollar pharma deals alongside the safety, trial design, and regulatory problems still facing psychedelic drugs.
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02
LSD and psilocybin produce opposite changes in cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity, study suggests
PET and MRI data suggest LSD and psilocybin have opposing effects on blood flow and connectivity despite shared receptor targets.
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03
Stakeholders Respond to the FDA’s Psychedelics Docket, Revealing Broad Support and Divisions Over Regulation, Therapy, and Trial Safeguards
Analysis of 610 FDA submissions maps broad support for psychedelic access and divisions over therapy, product rules, and trial safeguards.
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04
Weekly Psychedelic Policy Briefing: VA prepares ten treatment sites, DEA reviews five tryptamines, and cannabis hearing stays paused
The VA has selected ten potential treatment sites as federal agencies prepare for approvals and review controls on five tryptamines.
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05
World Ayahuasca Forum 2026: Indigene Wissenssysteme fordern Gleichstellung und eine neue Allianz mit der westlichen Wissenschaft
The World Ayahuasca Forum called for Indigenous knowledge to shape ayahuasca research methods, ethics, and governance on equal terms.
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06
Japan designates N-desethyl protonitazene, 5-MeO-MET and 2-F-tropacaine as temporary prefectural bans precede national control
Japan moved to control 5-MeO-MET and two other compounds nationally after five prefectures imposed temporary restrictions.