Texas Emerging Therapies Association

Emerging Therapies for a Healthier Texas

Texas has committed $50 million to ibogaine clinical trials. We're working to see that research through, and to make sure the Texans who need it most are first in line.

See the Progress

About Us

Texas Emerging Therapies Association (TETA) is a nonprofit organization committed to advancing access to innovative, evidence-based treatments for mental health conditions. We bring medical professionals and community leaders together with elected officials to help Texans living with PTSD, depression, addiction, and traumatic brain injury.

Our focus is making sure that promising therapies such as ibogaine are rigorously studied, well understood, and safely integrated into healthcare in a way that puts public health and individual well-being first.

Advocacy

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound derived from the root bark of the iboga shrub, long used in ceremonial and healing practices in West and Central Africa. Modern research suggests it may help people with opioid dependence, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

In a Stanford Medicine study published in Nature Medicine in January 2024, 30 Special Operations veterans with traumatic brain injuries were treated with ibogaine. One month later, participants reported average reductions of 88% in PTSD symptoms, 87% in depression symptoms, and 81% in anxiety symptoms, along with improvements in concentration, information processing, memory, and impulsivity.

Ibogaine remains a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States, and it carries real risks, including serious heart rhythm problems, which is why it must be studied and administered under close medical supervision. For years, veterans have traveled to clinics in Mexico and elsewhere to receive it. We believe Texans should not have to leave the country, or go without medical oversight, to access care that may save their lives.

That is why TETA advocated for Texas to fund FDA-approved clinical trials here at home. In 2025, Texas did.

What we're working on now

Getting the state's $50 million released and trials under way
Securing the matching funds the law requires
Keeping veterans and first responders at the front of the line for trial participation
Building toward safe, lawful patient access once the research supports it

Legislation

WHAT TEXAS HAS DONE

In June 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2308 into law. Authored by Senator Tan Parker and sponsored in the House by Representative Cody Harris, it commits $50,000,000 in state funds to FDA-approved clinical trials of ibogaine, the largest public investment in psychedelic research by any state. Texas Emerging Therapies Association advocated for this legislation throughout the 2025 session.

TIMELINE

June 2025: Governor Abbott signs Senate Bill 2308.
December 2025: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission awards the $50,000,000 to a statewide research consortium led by UTHealth Houston with UTMB Health. UT Austin and Baylor College of Medicine lead the work on traumatic brain injury in veterans.
March 2026: Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dustin Burrows announce that Texas will proceed with its own research program in partnership with the state's medical researchers.
April 2026: A federal executive order directs the FDA to speed its review of psychedelic therapies and sets aside at least $50,000,000 to partner with states, like Texas, that are already funding this research.
October 2026: The FDA opens public comment on safety and design standards for ibogaine clinical trials.

TEXAS IS LEADING THE NATION

Since Texas acted, Arizona has funded its own ibogaine research, Mississippi and West Virginia have passed legislation modeled on the Texas approach, and similar bills have been filed in several other states.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Trials have not yet begun enrolling patients. Under the law, state funds are released once matching funds from non-state sources are in place, and researchers must secure FDA authorization before treating participants. TETA is working with lawmakers, researchers, and partner organizations to clear those hurdles.

We will post enrollment information here as soon as it is available. TETA does not provide medical treatment or referrals.

WHY IBOGAINE

Opioid withdrawal is one of the main drivers of relapse, overdose, and death among people trying to recover. Observational studies over several decades suggest that ibogaine, given in a controlled medical setting, can resolve withdrawal symptoms within days and reduce cravings afterward. Researchers are also studying its effects on methamphetamine, cocaine, and alcohol dependence.

The 2024 Stanford study led by Dr. Nolan Williams found significant improvements in veterans with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Clinical trials are the way to find out whether those results hold up, for whom, and at what risk.

SUPPORTERS OF IBOGAINE DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH

Texas Veterans of Foreign Wars
Special Operations Veterans
Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition
Texas Emerging Therapies Association
Texans for Greater Mental Health
Medal of Honor Recipient Dakota Meyer
Congressman Morgan Luttrell, Retired US Navy Seal
Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Retired US Navy Seal

DATA

Texas and the Opioid Epidemic

Approx. 1 million Texans suffer from opioid use disorder.
Texas suffers approx. 3,000 opioid-related deaths each year.
The opioid epidemic costs the United States nearly $1.5 trillion annually in healthcare costs, lost productivity, criminal justice interventions, and addiction treatment expenses.

Veteran Mental Health Crisis

PTSD affects 11-20% of veterans from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan per year.
17-44 veterans die by suicide each day with more than 150,000 veterans losing their lives to suicide since 2001.
Suicide rate for veterans is 1.5x that of the general population.

Efficacy of Existing Treatment Models

Note: SSRI/SNRI treatments are slow-acting, low-efficacy with it taking up to six weeks for medication to take effect.

OUD treatments including Methadone, Suboxone, and Abstinence: 7% - 26%
Available treatments do not reverse neurochemical brain injury caused by opioid dependence. Methadone and Buprenorphine are opioids which maintain a patient’s physiological dependency.
PTSD treatments including SSRIs: 20% - 60% cessation of symptoms with no curative effect.
Depression treatments including SSRIs and therapy: 40% - 60% cessation of symptoms with moderate to severe side effects from SSRI/SNRI treatments and no curative effect.
Anxiety treatments including SSRIs and therapy: Up to 60% cessation of symptoms with moderate to severe side effects from SSRI/SNRI treatments and no curative effect.

Efficacy of Ibogaine Therapy

OUD: 80% effectiveness for individuals with OUD after a single dose // 97% with a second supportive dose.
PTSD: 100% reduction of symptoms to no disability diagnosis 1-month after treatment.
Depression: 78% reduction of symptoms to no diagnosis after a 12-month assessment.
Anxiety: 90% reduction of symptoms after a 12-month assessment.

DEFINITIONS

Ibogaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid derived from three West African botanical sources. It is a non-classical psychedelic which has demonstrated breakthrough therapeutic efficacy for substance dependence (opioids, methamphetamine, cocaine, alcohol, and tobacco).
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a medical condition characterized by physiological dependence on opioids, leading to significant impairment or distress. This disorder encompasses the use of substances ranging from legally prescribed medications to illicit drugs like heroin and fentanyl.

Events

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Contact Us

We can be reached by email at info@txemergingtherapies.org or by phone at 786-564-5919.

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