Group Retreat Psilocybin Therapy for the Treatment of Anxiety and Depression in Patients With Metastatic Solid Tumors or Incurable Hematologic Malignancies

A Phase 2a Study of Group Retreat Psilocybin Therapy for Cancer-Related Anxiety and Depression

This phase II trial tests the safety, side effects and how well group retreat psilocybin therapy works for the treatment of anxiety and depression in patients with solid tumors that have spread from where they first started (primary site) to other places in the body (metastatic) or with hematologic cancers for which no treatment is currently available (incurable). For patients with metastatic, incurable cancer, unrelieved anxiety and existential distress can cause profound suffering. Psilocybin therapy can relieve anxiety and existential distress by disrupting patterns of thinking that contribute to anxiety and depression. Psilocybin is a substance being studied in the treatment of anxiety or depression in patients with cancer. In this study, a pharmaceutical grade of psilocybin will be used that has been approved by the FDA for research, provided by Filament Health. Psilocybin acts on the brain by resetting the brain's activity and increasing connections between brain regions, particularly those involved in mood regulation and self-perception. In this study psilocybin is combined with structured discussions and reflections that enable patients to have new insights about their situation. In a prior study, group retreat psilocybin therapy was proven to be safe and this study tests a refined dosing regimen for symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with metastatic solid tumors or incurable hematologic malignancies.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Depression; Anxiety; Metastatic Malignant Solid Neoplasm; Hematopoietic and Lymphatic System Neoplasm
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Survey Administration; Drug: Psilocybin; Behavioral: Psychotherapy

Detailed Description

OUTLINE:

Patients attend group preparation therapy sessions on days -14 (virtual), -7 (virtual) and -1 (in person), and also attend an individual preparation therapy session on day -1 (in person). Patients receive psilocybin orally (PO) on day 0. Patients may receive an additional "booster" dose 60-90 minutes after the initial dose based on their subjective report combined with the physician's clinical judgement. Patients attend group integration therapy sessions on days 1 (in person), 8 (virtual), 15 (virtual), and 22 (virtual), and attend individual integration therapy sessions on days 1 (in person) and 8 (virtual).

After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up at 2 weeks and at 1, 2, 3, and 6 months.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 18
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Anthony Back, MD; Phone Number: 206-619-4367; Email: tonyback@uw.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Washington
    • Seattle, Washington, United States, 98109
      • Recruiting
      • Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium
      • Principal Investigator: Anthony Back, MD
      • Contact: Anthony Back, MD; Phone Number: 206-619-4367; Email: tonyback@uw.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• A diagnosis of metastatic solid tumor, or incurable hematologic malignancy that has been accepted by a physician in a medical record
• Measurable disease is not required
• Previous treatment with chemotherapy: There are no minimum or maximum prior lines of chemotherapy
• 18-85 years of age
• Required performance status, including the appropriate scale. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0-2
• Hematocrit > 20
• Platelets (plt) > 20K
• Liver function tests 1.5 x normal
• Creatinine 1.5 x normal
• Subjects of childbearing potential must be willing to use an effective contraceptive method from study enrollment until at least 1 month after receiving the investigational agent(s)
• Must be at least 4 weeks after surgery or radiotherapy at study entry, but can be receiving oral or intravenous (IV) chemotherapy if those schedules can be adjusted around the medication session date
• Motivated to participate in a group study and able in the research team's judgment to participate in the small group effectively
• On pre-enrollment screening tests, they will have clinically significant anxiety or depressive symptoms as defined by a score of 11 or greater on the Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale-Anxiety (HADS)-total
• English speaking - able to understand the process of consent and the risk and benefits associated with the study, and able to give written informed consent. This is a phase 2a study, and if future larger studies are designed, consideration will be given for non-english-speaking subjects
• Must be willing to sign a medical release for the investigators to communicate directly with their treating clinicians (mental health professional or oncologist) and doctors to confirm a medication and/or medical history
• Must provide at least one adult who is in contact with the participant at least once a day when the participant is at home who is able to verbally monitor participant-reported changes in their behavior and able to notify research staff of behavior changes that may require research staff assessment
• Must provide a review of any antidepressant (such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor ([SSRI)], serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor [SNRI]) use
• Must avoid taking any psychiatric medications or starting a new psychiatric medication during the study. Should participant's doctor recommend starting a new psychiatric medication, participant will be required to notify the study team and the subject would withdraw from the study. (Use of as needed [prn] benzodiazepines is allowed but high dose chronic benzodiazepine use must be reviewed by the principal investigator [PI]. Use of prn gabapentoids is allowed but high dose chronic gabapentoid use must be reviewed by the PI.)
• Must provide a contact (relative, spouse, close friend, or other caregiver) who is willing and able to be reached by the research team in the event that the participant becomes suicidal
• If the potential participant is of childbearing potential, they must have a negative pregnancy test at baseline and prior to the medication dosing session, and must agree to use highly effective birth control. Highly effective birth control is defined as birth control methods, alone or in combination, that result in a low failure rate (i.e., less than 1 percent per year, which does NOT include condoms or abstinence
• Are willing to commit to preparation sessions, medication dosing sessions, integration sessions, to complete evaluation instruments and commit to be contacted for all necessary telephone contacts

Exclusion Criteria:

• Brain metastases that have not been treated
• Uncontrolled or concurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with study requirements
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding, or expecting to conceive or father children for the duration of the trial through 30 days after receipt of investigational agent(s)
• Personal or immediate family history of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, delusion disorder, paranoid disorder, or schizoaffective disorder
• Suicidal ideation with a Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) measurement of 'low risk' or no risk
• Current substance abuse disorder (although prospective subjects will not be excluded for reasonable alcohol use that does not meet criteria for alcohol use disorder or marijuana use that does not meet criteria for substance use disorder)
• Unstable neurological or medical condition; history of seizure, chronic/severe headaches
• Any use of psychedelic drugs in high doses (psilocybin > 2 grams of dried mushrooms, lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD] > 200 micrograms) within the prior 3 months (microdosing will not require exclusion but participants would have to agree to discontinue microdosing 1 month before study entry)
• Use of tramadol, due to the potential for serotonin syndrome with concomitant use of psilocybin
• Individuals who are on MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitors) or who have a known sensitivity to the drug or its metabolites. Psilocybin is contraindicated in medications that are known UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme modulators
• Baseline prolongation of QT/corrected QT (QTc) interval (e.g., demonstration on a 12-lead electrocardiogram [ECG] of a QTc interval > 450 milliseconds [ms])
• A history of additional risk factors for Torsade de Points (including but not limited to: heart failure, hypokalemia, family history of Long QT Syndrome)
• The use of concomitant medications that prolong the QT/QTc interval
• Any history of cardiovascular disease such as history of myocardial infarction or congestive heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia
• Concomitant use of efavirenz (an antiviral) which cannot be tapered
• Concomitant use of serotonin-acting supplements due to their potential for interaction with psilocybin, including 5-HTP, St John's Wort, and 'brain food' supplements

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Treatment (psilocybin therapy); Patients attend group preparation therapy sessions on days -14 (virtual), -7 (virtual) and -1 (in person), and also attend an individual preparation therapy session on day -1 (in person). Patients receive psilocybin orally (PO) on day 0. Patients may receive an additional "booster" dose 60-90 minutes after the initial dose based on the physician's clinical judgement. Patients attend group integration therapy sessions on days 1 (in person), 8 (virtual), 15 (virtual), and 22 (virtual), and attend individual integration therapy sessions on days 1 (in person) and 8 (virtual).

Other: Survey Administration; Ancillary studies; Drug: Psilocybin; Given PO; Other Names: psilocybine; Behavioral: Psychotherapy; Attend therapy sessions; Other Names: therapy; talk therapy

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of adverse events	Occurrence of any adverse event graded Severe on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE).	Up to 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression assessed via the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): Change in Mean Total score	Measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Scores range from 0 (better) to 42 (worse).	At day -14, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Washington
• Collaborators: Healing Hearts, Changing Minds, Inc.; Psilo Scientific Ltd
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Anthony Back, MD, Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 19, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 9, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 9, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 29, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 27, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Neoplasms; Behavioral Symptoms; Neoplastic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Anxiety Disorders; Depression; Neoplasm Metastasis; Heterocyclic Compounds; Heterocyclic Compounds, 2-Ring; Heterocyclic Compounds, Fused-Ring; Alkaloids; Indoles; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities; Indole Alkaloids; Indolizidines; Indolizines; Tryptamines; Psilocybin; Therapeutics; Psychotherapy
• Other Study ID Numbers: RG1126153; NCI-2025-09712 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program)); FHIRB0021135 (Other Identifier: Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No