Findings from a study comparing the acute effects of the two compounds suggest that 20 mg psilocybin is equivalent to 100 μg LSD, and 30 mg psilocybin is equivalent to 150 μg LSD.
The new study has suggested that the key differences between LSD and psilocybin are dose-dependent rather than substance-dependent.
Carried out by Mind Medicine in collaboration with University Hospital Basel the results have been published in Neuropsychopharmacology.
Mind Medicine has stated that the findings have the potential to assist with dose-finding, trial design and to inform future studies evaluating the therapeutic utility of psychedelics.
Professor Matthias Liechti MD, University Hospital Basel, principal investigator of the study, commented: “The results in this publication continue to expand our knowledge of the differences between LSD and psilocybin with regard to their acute effects, similarities, and dose-equivalence.
“Although both substances are used as pharmacological tools, there are no modern studies investigating and directly comparing the acute effects of these substances within the same clinical study, using well-defined doses and validated psychometric tools.
“Together, these results suggest that 20 mg psilocybin is equivalent to 100 μg LSD, and 30 mg psilocybin is equivalent to 150 μg LSD, making the dose equivalence of LSD to psilocybin approximately 1:200.
“Strikingly, there were no qualitative differences in altered states of consciousness across substances, except that the duration of action was shorter for psilocybin.”
Executive president of MindMed, Miri Halperin Wernli, PhD, added: “LSD and psilocybin have recently become promising candidates for the treatment of various psychiatric and neurologic disorders, and thus a deeper understanding of their differential subjective effects in humans is needed.
“This study brings us one step closer to maximising the therapeutic potential of these molecules, by providing valuable dose-finding context and enabling more direct comparisons when interpreting clinical results.
“These learnings will help guide our rapidly advancing clinical development program, and we look forward to providing updates as we work to bring the benefits of psychedelic-inspired medicines to patients struggling with brain-based disorders.”
Mind Medicine state that the study characterised the effects of the two compounds at two different doses, demonstrating that both doses of LSD and the high dose of psilocybin produced qualitatively and quantitatively similar subjective effects, indicating that alterations of mind do not differ beyond the effect duration.
The results demonstrated that 200 µg of LSD induced higher ratings of ego-dissolution, anxiety, as well as impairments in control and cognition, compared to the 100 µg LSD dos, whilst also increasing ratings of ineffability significantly more than 30 mg psilocybin.
LSD at both doses had longer effect durations than psilocybin, and the researchers say that, taken together, the results suggest that the 20 mg of psilocybin is likely equivalent to 100 µg of LSD.
They also highlighted that beyond subjective effects, both compounds showed comparable cardio-stimulant properties.
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