Texas is funding research into the psychedelic ibogaine. Here’s what to know
By Miriam Fauzia, San Antonio Express-News The Tribune Content Agency February 13, 2026 9:08 PM
In June 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott signed legislation creating a $50 million grant program to put Texas at the forefront of ibogaine research. Now a group of Texas universities, including the University of Texas at Austin and UT San Antonio’s Health Science Center, are using those funds to conduct a two-year collaborative research trial to study the effects of the drug. Ibogaine is one of several illicit drugs, such as LSD and psilocybin, being investigated for their potential to reshape mental health care. Here’s what to know. What is ibogaine? Ibogaine is a psychoactive compound found in the roots of Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central Africa that has been used for centuries in ceremonial practices. Iboga entered the Western world in 1864, when samples of the plant were brought to France. A semisynthetic version of the drug was introduced there in 1939 and prescribed for a range of conditions – from fatigue and depression to infectious disease – before the sale of such products was banned in the 1960s. Around that time, ibogaine’s potential role in treating addiction began to come into focus. In 1962, Howard Lotsof experimented with the drug and discovered it eased his withdrawal symptoms and cravings from heroin addiction. He went on to advocate for ibogaine as a treatment for substance use disorder. In 1967, the United States made possession of ibogaine illegal, along with other psychoactive substances such as LSD and psilocybin mushrooms.
How does ibogaine work?
Ibogaine acts as a stimulant in small doses but is a powerful psychedelic in large doses. How it affects the brain isn’t well understood. Neuroimaging studies suggest it may promote nerve growth and increase neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to rewire itself by forming new connections. Animal studies, including research in rats, have reported similar effects, finding ibogaine may boost levels of proteins linked to neuroplasticity. That rewiring ability may help relieve symptoms from mental health conditions. In an observational study published in 2024, 30 male U.S. Special Operations veterans with mostly mild traumatic brain injuries received ibogaine alongside magnesium, which was used to reduce ibogaine’s cardiac risks. (Ibogaine has been linked to sudden death from serious cardiac events.) The participants reported improvements in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety both immediately after treatment and one month later. But because they knew the drug they were taking, and because the study lacked a control group, its authors cautioned larger, controlled clinical trials are needed to confirm ibogaine’s safety and effectiveness. Other small studies and reports from clinics outside the U.S. suggest ibogaine may reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings for some people with opioid or stimulant addictions – sometimes after a single session – though those findings have not been confirmed in large, controlled trials. In countries such as Mexico and Brazil, ibogaine has been used in addiction treatment programs. Research into ibogaine has generated pharmaceutical interest. Atai Life Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company, developed an ibogaine formulation to treat opioid-use disorder; at the University of California, San Francisco, researchers created antidepressants that mimics ibogaine’s effect on the brain’s feel-good chemical serotonin. None of these potential drugs is federally approved. What’s next for ibogaine in Texas?
To be considered for federal approval, ibogaine must first be tested in large, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials – studies in which neither participants nor researchers know who receives the drug. One such effort is now taking shape in Texas, funded by Senate Bill 2308. Texas universities and other institutions received the $50 million in December from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to launch a two-year study of ibogaine. The trial will examine whether the drug could help people with traumatic brain injury, addiction and other mental health conditions. “This landmark clinical trial reflects our unwavering commitment to advancing research that improves lives and delivers the highest standards of care,” Dr. Melina Kibbe, president of UTHealth Houston, which is co-leading the project, said in a news release. UTHealth Houston and University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston are leading the trial. In addition to the UT campuses in Austin and San Antonio, the other universities participating in the research are Baylor College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, the University of Texas at Tyler, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and the University of North Texas Health Science Center. The JPS Health Network in Dallas also is participating. UTHealth Houston and its partners will focus on ibogaine treatment for addiction and associated conditions while UT Austin and Baylor will concentrate their study on traumatic brain injury, particularly in veterans.
The group also will drug developers who will work with the teaching hospitals to hold FDA-approved clinical trials. The state health commission will be overseeing the grant program “By joining forces with outstanding partners across our state, we are building on Texas’ tradition of innovation to ensure patients struggling with addiction and behavioral health conditions have access to the best possible outcomes. Together, we are shaping discoveries that will serve Texans and set a model for the nation.” Miriam Fauzia is a science reporting fellow. Her fellowship is supported by the University of Texas at Dallas. Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
