Symposium
Session Room: M1
Session Room: M1
Saturday, June 27, 02:40 PM – 03:55 PM
Symposium 7:
Novel pharmacological strategies and eating disorders
Novel pharmacological strategies and eating disorders
Recent breakthroughs in the biological understanding of eating disorders and the development of innovative pharmacological approaches have stimulated pharmacological research activities and clinical considerations in this field [1].
Currently, the use of typical and atypical psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and ketamine), and glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1A, e.g., liraglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide) in people with eating disorders is hotly debated in the scientific and clinical community and in the public [2-4].
The first speaker, Dr. Yasmin Benbow, will present a currently ongoing Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled feasibility study of oral ketamine for the treatment of depression with anorexia nervosa (AN). In this trial, 60 adults with a diagnosis of depression and AN will be randomized to receive four weeks of oral ketamine 60 mg to 180 mg (2 x weekly) or placebo.
The second speaker, Guy Goodwin, will report the results of a proof-of-concept study that tested the efficacy and safety of psilocybin (COMP360) administered with the Compass Psychological Support Model [5] in participants with AN. Participants with AN were randomized to either 25 mg (n=21) or 1 mg psilocybin (control condition; n=7). After a distinct improvement of eating disorders symptoms and general psychopathology under 25 mg compared to 1 mg psilocybin, the trajectories of both groups converged between weeks 4 and 12. Psilocybin was generally well tolerated.
Aaron Keshen, the third speaker, will present a project that used a modified Delphi method to establish recommendations for evaluating the safety and efficacy of GLP-1As in individuals with eating disorders. He will introduce consensus guidelines for clinicians and researchers, addressing the nuanced relationship between GLP-1As use, disordered eating behaviors, and associated health risks in high-risk populations. These findings have the potential to guide future clinical trials and improve therapeutic strategies for individuals with co-occurring diabetes, obesity, and eating disorders.
Currently, the use of typical and atypical psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin and ketamine), and glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists (GLP-1A, e.g., liraglutide, tirzepatide, and retatrutide) in people with eating disorders is hotly debated in the scientific and clinical community and in the public [2-4].
The first speaker, Dr. Yasmin Benbow, will present a currently ongoing Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled feasibility study of oral ketamine for the treatment of depression with anorexia nervosa (AN). In this trial, 60 adults with a diagnosis of depression and AN will be randomized to receive four weeks of oral ketamine 60 mg to 180 mg (2 x weekly) or placebo.
The second speaker, Guy Goodwin, will report the results of a proof-of-concept study that tested the efficacy and safety of psilocybin (COMP360) administered with the Compass Psychological Support Model [5] in participants with AN. Participants with AN were randomized to either 25 mg (n=21) or 1 mg psilocybin (control condition; n=7). After a distinct improvement of eating disorders symptoms and general psychopathology under 25 mg compared to 1 mg psilocybin, the trajectories of both groups converged between weeks 4 and 12. Psilocybin was generally well tolerated.
Aaron Keshen, the third speaker, will present a project that used a modified Delphi method to establish recommendations for evaluating the safety and efficacy of GLP-1As in individuals with eating disorders. He will introduce consensus guidelines for clinicians and researchers, addressing the nuanced relationship between GLP-1As use, disordered eating behaviors, and associated health risks in high-risk populations. These findings have the potential to guide future clinical trials and improve therapeutic strategies for individuals with co-occurring diabetes, obesity, and eating disorders.