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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 1INTERVENTIONAL

Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Autism

Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Autism: a Pilot Trial With Pre-Post Brain and Cognitive Measurement to Understand Mechanism

Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression in Autism (NCT06731621) is a Phase 1 interventional studying Treatment Resistant Depression and Autism Spectrum Disorder, sponsored by Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

We propose a first-of-its-kind open-label clinical trial to investigate the feasibility, tolerability, and safety of administering psilocybin in autistic adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In this study, 20 participants (intellectually able and fluent-speech adults) with autism and co-occurring TRD will receive around 20 hours of manualized psychotherapy that has previously been used with psilocybin (Agin-Liebes et al., 2020). They will also receive psilocybin at 2 different time points, firstly a safety dose of 10mg, followed by a treatment dose of 25mg. This study design is in accordance with previous studies investigating the use of psilocybin with psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) to treat TRD (Carhart-Harris et al., 2016, 2018)

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 1 trials test a new treatment for the first time in humans, focusing on safety, dosing, and how the body processes the drug. For Treatment Resistant Depression, a Phase 1 study typically enrolls a small number of participants — often healthy volunteers or patients who have exhausted standard treatment options. Phase 1 results determine whether a treatment moves into larger Phase 2 efficacy studies.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

With a target enrollment of 20 participants, this is a small study — typical of early-phase research, rare-disease trials, or pilot studies designed to generate preliminary signal before a larger study is launched.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: 1. Must be aged 18 to 65 years old; 2. Must be deemed to have capacity to provide willing to sign a consent form; 3. Ability to read and communicate in English; 4. Must sign and date the willing to sign a consent form form; 5. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures; 6. Intellectually able: Either 1) the participant has a previous report showing intelligence quotient (IQ) ≥ 70 on the General Abilities Index of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) or any other standardized intelligence scales, or 2) the participant scores \>10 percentile on the nine-item form of the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices Test (RSPM). 7. Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), based on the DSM-5 or ICD-11 8. Primary DSM-5 diagnosis of non-psychotic MDD, single or recurrent, based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) administered at the first screening visit (V1); 9. Participants diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression defined as individuals with a baseline GRID-HAMD-17 score \> 14 and that have not responded to two or more separate trials of antidepressants at an adequate dosage and duration based on the Antidepressant Treatment History Form; there is no upper limit on the number of treatment failures; 10. Ability to take oral medication; 11. Individuals who are capable of becoming pregnant: use of highly effective contraception for at least 3 months prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation; 12. Individuals who are willing to taper off current antidepressant and antipsychotic medications for a minimum of 2-weeks (or more depending on the medication) prior to Baseline (V2) and whose physician confirms that it is safe for them to do so; and 13. A clean urine drug screen and negative urine pregnancy test (in females). 14. Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle Considerations (see below) throughout study duration Who Should NOT Join This Trial: ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Must be aged 18 to 65 years old; 2. Must be deemed to have capacity to provide informed consent; 3. Ability to read and communicate in English; 4. Must sign and date the informed consent form; 5. Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures; 6. Intellectually able: Either 1) the participant has a previous report showing intelligence quotient (IQ) ≥ 70 on the General Abilities Index of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) or any other standardized intelligence scales, or 2) the participant scores \>10 percentile on the nine-item form of the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices Test (RSPM). 7. Clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), based on the DSM-5 or ICD-11 8. Primary DSM-5 diagnosis of non-psychotic MDD, single or recurrent, based on the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) administered at the first screening visit (V1); 9. Participants diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression defined as individuals with a baseline GRID-HAMD-17 score \> 14 and that have not responded to two or more separate trials of antidepressants at an adequate dosage and duration based on the Antidepressant Treatment History Form; there is no upper limit on the number of treatment failures; 10. Ability to take oral medication; 11. Individuals who are capable of becoming pregnant: use of highly effective contraception for at least 3 months prior to screening and agreement to use such a method during study participation; 12. Individuals who are willing to taper off current antidepressant and antipsychotic medications for a minimum of 2-weeks (or more depending on the medication) prior to Baseline (V2) and whose physician confirms that it is safe for them to do so; and 13. A clean urine drug screen and negative urine pregnancy test (in females). 14. Agreement to adhere to Lifestyle Considerations (see below) throughout study duration Exclusion Criteria: 1. Pregnant as assessed by a urine pregnancy test or individual's that intend to become pregnant during the study or are breastfeeding; 2. Treatment with another investigational drug or other intervention within 30 days of Screening (V1); 3. The presence of an unstable seizure disorder as defined by having not been seizure-free for at least 6 months or anticonvulsant treatment has not been stable for at least 4 weeks; 4. The presence of any clinically significant or unstable medical conditions, including cardiovascular, liver, kidney, pulmonary disease, presence of known congenital brain malformation, as per investigator assessment based on medical history and chart review; 5. Moderate or severe DSM-5 diagnosis of an alcohol or substance use disorder in the past 12 months; 6. Any DSM-5 lifetime diagnosis of a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, psychotic disorder (unless substance induced or due to a medical condition), bipolar I or II disorder, paranoid personality disorder, or neurocognitive disorder as determined by medical history and the MINI clinical interview; 7. Any first-degree relative with a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorder; psychotic disorder (unless substance-induced or due to a medical condition); or bipolar I or II disorder as determined by the family medical history form and discussions with the participant; 8. Presence of a relative or absolute contraindication to psilocybin, including a drug allergy, recent stroke history, uncontrolled hypertension, low or labile blood pressure, recent myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmic, severe coronary artery disease, or moderate to severe renal or hepatic impairment; 9. Substantial lifetime use (\>10 years total) or recent use (past 6 months) of ketamine, psychedelics, or MDMA and positive urine toxicological screen at Screening (V1) and Baseline (V2); 10. Any other clinically significant physical illness, including chronic infectious diseases or any other major concurrent illness that, in the opinion of the investigator, may interfere with the interpretation of the study results or constitute a health risk for the participant if they take part in the study; 11. Have active suicidal ideation with intent and plan as determined by SBQ-ASC. 12. Have initiated new psychotherapy within 12 weeks prior to Screening 13. Contraindication to MR imaging or a previous history of claustrophobia. Lifestyle considerations: During this clinical trial, participants are asked to: * Abstain from alcohol for 24 hours before the intervention or the day of the intervention (V3, V4). * Abstain from the use of any prescribed opioids, benzodiazepines, or sleep aids (Z-drugs) within 12 hrs prior to the intervention (V3, V4) and for up to 6 hrs after administration. * Abstain from any illicit drugs (e.g. cocaine, ecstasy/MDMA, hallucinogens) for the duration of the study. * Abstain from any cannabinoids within 3 weeks prior to the intervention (V3, V4) and until the completion of the 2nd integrative therapy session (V6). * Abstain from driving or operating heavy machinery for up to 24 hours after the intervention (V3, V4).

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Psilocybin

2 dosing sessions 1 week apart, each about 6-8 hours duration Psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT), is a psychotherapeutic intervention in which the psychological effects of psilocybin play a significant role. PAT procedures typically involve psychological preparation prior to therapist-supported psilocybin dosing sessions. These sessions are used to establish a therapeutic relationship, inform participants about what to expect, and set expectations for the dosing session. During the psilocybin dosing session, trained therapists support the individual through their experience and psychological integration therapy occurs after the dosing experience. PAT has shown impressive antidepressant effects in people with TRD or severe MDD in at least six modern-era clinical trials (Andersen et al., 2021).

Locations (1)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06731621), the sponsor (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06731621 clinical trial studying?

We propose a first-of-its-kind open-label clinical trial to investigate the feasibility, tolerability, and safety of administering psilocybin in autistic adults with treatment-resistant depression (TRD). In this study, 20 participants (intellectually able and fluent-speech adults) with autism and co-occurring TRD will receive around 20 hours of manualized psychotherapy that has previously been used with psilocybin (Agin-Liebes et al., 2020). They will also receive psilocybin at 2 different time points, firstly a safety dose of 10mg, followed by a treatment dose of 25mg. This study design is in… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT06731621?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06731621?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06731621. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06731621. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.