Microdosing for Depression Appears to Work About as Well as Drinking Coffee

Microdosing LSD for clinical depression appears to offer little or no advantage over placebo in a Phase 2B trial, with reported mood and well-being changes not translating into statistically meaningful improvement on standard depression scales. The trial by Melbourne-based MindBio Therapeutics tested small LSD doses (about 4 to 20 micrograms) over eight weeks in 89 adults with major depressive disorder. Outcomes measured with the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) favored an active placebo strategy rather than LSD, with caffeine used as a comparison. The article places these results in the broader context of microdosing claims and placebo effects in psychedelic research, including how expectation and trial design (for example, double-dummy blinding with active placebos) can shape participants' perceived effects. It also contrasts this Phase 2B outcome with MindBio's earlier open-label findings and notes concerns about legal risk around LSD.