HHS Announces ARPA-H Awards to Advance Ibogaine Development for PTSD & New $20 Million Funding Opportunity to Advance Rapid-acting Psychotropics

WASHINGTON-NOVEMBER 12, 2026-The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today made several announcements to advance the development of mental health treatments for veterans and civilians. First, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced investments up to $4.9 million through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to advance the development of ibogaine as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other serious mental illnesses, including in Veterans.

Second, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) published a $20 million Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to support the development of a research network to study rapid-acting psychotropic interventional drugs (RAPIDs), such as ketamine, esketamine, psilocybin, and other emerging treatments for serious mental illnesses. Award recipients will be announced the summer of 2027.

Secretary Kennedy was joined by leaders from the Department of Veterans Affairs to announce the investment the day after Veterans Day. The ARPA-H efforts support preparation of Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) to enable future clinical trials in the United States, secure clinical-grade ibogaine, and develop processes for sustainable domestic manufacturing.

"Veterans kept their promise to this country. We must keep ours," said Secretary Kennedy. "Veterans have told us ibogaine changed their lives. Their experiences demand serious scientific investigation. We will pursue the evidence, confront the risks and put affordability at the center of this work."

The research teams selected by ARPA-H are led by the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, PBC, will establish the regulatory, clinical, chemical, and engineering foundation for a domestically manufactured, single-molecule ibogaine hydrochloride product for potential PTSD treatment. Separately, Beond, Inc., will deliver high-fidelity clinical data to evaluate the safety, dosing, efficacy, and durability of ibogaine to facilitate further understanding and development. If successful, the resulting evidence from these efforts may support carefully controlled development in more clinically complex and higher-risk indications. All awardees will open-source data from their research findings to accelerate further research on ibogaine.

The agency's initial commitment is up to $4.9 million over five years with additional awards expected that will include a focus on ibogaine as a potential treatment for substance use disorders (SUD). Performer awards vary in funding amount per awardee and are contingent upon each team meeting aggressive and accelerated research milestones. These awards fund the regulatory and manufacturing groundwork for future trials. It does not fund treatment of patients or human-subject research, and it does not authorize clinical trials or establish FDA approval.

"Our U.S. Veterans and the millions of other Americans suffering from serious mental illness deserve more than one-size-fits-all, trial-and-error therapeutics," said Al Bugazia, M.D., Senior Advisor for Special Projects at ARPA-H, who is leading the effort. "Reports of successful ibogaine treatments are too promising to ignore. We owe it to our heroes and every person struggling to ask the bold questions and deliver results in years, not decades. As long as people continue to struggle, doing anything less is not an option."

Future ARPA-H awards will evaluate ibogaine as a potential treatment for SUD, including opioid use disorder. Rather than betting on a single path, ARPA-H is pursuing multiple IND applications across more than one indication. This strategy is designed to increase the odds that at least one approach produces clear answers about whether ibogaine can be an effective, rapid-treatment option for Veterans and other Americans struggling with serious mental illness.

"Veterans deserve effective treatments and clear answers about the benefits and risks of those treatments," said VA Secretary Doug Collins. "We look forward to working with HHS to explore the possibilities of ibogaine and prepare our clinicians to deliver new treatments if they earn FDA approval."

Ibogaine carries serious safety risks, including potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems. Its potential benefits require rigorous evaluation. Future clinical studies must address participant screening, cardiac monitoring and independent safety oversight, alongside the scientific questions needed to assess whether the treatment works.

HHS is also prioritizing affordability from the outset. If development succeeds and the medicine earns FDA approval, the goal is to make it available at the cost of production plus a fair margin.

HHS also committed to making research findings public, whether they show benefit, no benefit or harm, while protecting patient privacy.

The announcement advances President Trump's April directive to accelerate research into promising psychedelic treatments. It also builds on the HHS-VA partnership to expand clinical research, share evidence and prepare the healthcare workforce to deliver future FDA-approved treatments.

"We owe veterans more than promises," said Secretary Kennedy. "We owe them rigorous science, honest answers and a path to affordable care if the evidence supports it."

Veterans in crisis, and anyone concerned about a veteran, can call 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.