Presenter: Howard Lotsof
Ibogaine is an alkaloid found in Tabernanthe iboga, a plant of West Central Africa. The indigenous use of the plant was first described in
European reports in the 1800s. In 1962, a group of peer drug experimenters serendipitously
discovered that ibogaine eliminated or significantly reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms, as well as
subsequent cravings that often characterize post-opioid detoxification. In 1981, Howard Lotsof began
reviewing the literature on ibogaine and determined that ibogaine demonstrated activity in the same
neurochemical systems as opioids and stimulants. Based on this finding, an attempt was made to
develop ibogaine as an approved pharmacotherapy for the treatment of dependence to a variety of
substances, including opioids, cocaine, amphetamines and poly-drug dependence.
This presentation reviews the history of ibogaine, including attempts at regulatory drug development
for clinical use and its use among activist user self-help groups. Discussion will include details
on the process and politics of five years of ibogaine research conducted by the U.S. National
Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the concurrent advocacy efforts of for- and not-for-profit
development groups as well as, drug users and AIDS activists, demanding to evaluate ibogaine's risks
and efficacy and facilitate access if favorable. The collaborative relationship among those in
regulatory development, user self-help, and ibogaine activist groups was a unique circumstance that
propelled ibogaine development during this period.
At present, Ibogaine therapy is offered by a growing international treatment subculture. A recent
ethnographic study of ibogaine providers worldwide documented a total of 3,414 treatments, 68% of
these for substance use. Practitioners operate under diverse paradigms, including the medical model,
lay provider/treatment guide, activist/self-help and religious/spiritual. These numbers represent a
four-fold increase over those reported five years ago, and continued growth is anticipated.
Additionally, much needed clinical studies are being planned in Israel and India.