ARPA-H to Receive Clinical Safety Data From 250 Ibogaine Patients
Beond will share de-identified ECG, adverse event and symptom data to help inform rigorous clinical trials of ibogaine.
November 12, 2026 · Washington, D.C.
- 250patients treated with ibogaine at Beond
- De-identifiedshared with every patient's consent
- Independentanalysis by ARPA-H, its research collaborators and FDA
What's happening
Secretary Kennedy and Dr. Mehmet Oz at the HHS announcement in Washington, D.C., November 12, 2026.
Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., joined by leaders from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), announced a new federal investment to advance research into ibogaine as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The investment, made through ARPA-H, supports the scientific, regulatory and manufacturing work needed to prepare for future U.S. clinical trials. Secretary Kennedy emphasized that the awards fund development groundwork. They do not fund patient treatment or human subject research, authorize clinical trials, or constitute an FDA approval.
During the announcement, Secretary Kennedy said Beond has agreed “to turn that research over to us, and specifically to ARPA-H,” which he said “is going to allow us to dramatically accelerate the clinical trial process.” Beond confirmed it will provide ARPA-H with a de-identified clinical dataset from 250 patients treated with ibogaine at our facility in Cancún, Mexico.
In its official announcement, HHS named Beond as a performer that will deliver high-fidelity clinical data on ibogaine’s safety, dosing, efficacy and durability. Read the HHS press release.
Watch the announcement
What the dataset includes
- Safety
ECG data and any adverse events.
- Symptoms over time
How patients' addiction, PTSD and depression symptoms changed.
- Ibogaine only
Every patient in the dataset received ibogaine alone, with no other psychedelics combined.
- Verified medicine
The ibogaine Beond uses is supported by certificates of analysis.
How the data is handled
- Consent
Every patient consented to the use of their de-identified data.
- De-identified
No names or identifying details are shared.
- Reviewed by our physicians
Beond's board-certified physicians, including a licensed psychiatrist, review every record for completeness and accuracy before delivery.
- Reported in full, as recorded
The data will not be selected or edited to look better.
- Independent conclusions
Analysis and conclusions will be made by ARPA-H, its research collaborators and FDA, not by Beond.
Why it matters
Ibogaine’s most serious known risk is to the heart’s rhythm. Researchers designing clinical trials need real-world safety data to set the right cardiac screening and safeguards.
Sharing ours gives federal scientists a starting point grounded in thousands of treatments, rather than a blank page.
It also reflects how we work. We believe the people who come to us, and the people still deciding, deserve answers from research as rigorous as any other medicine. That means putting our record in front of independent scientists and letting the evidence speak.
In their words
“[Beond] uses the best kind of data protocols. It's evidence-driven, physician-led, hospital-grade treatment protocols, and they've agreed to turn that research over to us, and specifically to ARPA-H, and that is going to allow us to dramatically accelerate the clinical trial process.”
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesARPA-H sought Beond's data to “expedite the speed of the process and gain insights without compromising the rigor and quality and safety that's necessary to bring a new therapeutic to the market.”
“Our system today is built on one size fits all trial and error therapeutics. We deserve better. Our veterans deserve better.”
Rafid Fadul, MD, MBAChief Medical Officer, ARPA-H“Today's commitment is not a conclusion that ibogaine is safe or effective for PTSD. It's a commitment to generate reliable evidence, be completely transparent about what the science shows, and expand access only if the data support it.”
Andrew GradisonSenior Advisor, Veterans Health Administration“It is maybe the most important thing we do in healthcare to give people hope, real hope, not false hope.”
Mehmet Oz, MDAdministrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services“Ibogaine's most serious known risk is to the heart's rhythm, and that is where careful screening and monitoring matter most. This dataset includes ECG data alongside any adverse events, which is exactly what researchers need to set the right cardiac screening and safeguards for clinical trials. Putting that data in front of federal scientists is how this field becomes safer for every patient.”
Sidney Peykar, MDBoard-certified cardiac electrophysiologist and Senior Cardiology Advisor, Beond“As a psychiatrist, I have watched people with addiction and PTSD run out of options. They deserve answers from research as rigorous as any other medicine. Helping federal scientists do that work is one of the most useful things a clinician can do right now.”
Rod Paulsen, MDPsychiatrist, Beond“Today's announcement is a milestone, and this project isn't about what we believe. It's about what the data show. We have cared for thousands of patients, and what we hear from them and their families is deeply moving. But those stories need to be backed by evidence. Independent analysis by federal scientists can help explain what we see every day, and whether ibogaine can one day be offered safely to Americans here at home.”
Tom FeegelCo-founder and CEO, Beond
Beond's wider research
This dataset is one part of Beond’s commitment to research. We also collaborate with Robin Carhart-Harris, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco, and run a separate long-term study with INVI Mindhealth tracking outcomes for veterans, overseen by Lynnette Averill, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine.
Questions people ask
Does this mean ibogaine is approved in the United States?
No. Ibogaine is not approved by the FDA for any use and remains a Schedule I substance in the United States. ARPA-H's work is aimed at rigorous clinical research that could inform future trials.
Does the federal investment pay for ibogaine treatment?
No. As Secretary Kennedy said, the awards fund development groundwork. They do not fund patient treatment or human subject research, authorize clinical trials, or constitute an FDA approval.
Was patient information shared without consent?
No. Every patient in the dataset consented to the use of their de-identified data, and no names or identifying details are shared.
Does this change treatment at Beond?
No. Treatment continues as before, with physician screening, continuous cardiac monitoring and a medical team on site around the clock.
Questions about ibogaine or Beond?
You don’t need to have everything figured out before you reach out. Our client care team will listen, answer your questions, and help you understand whether ibogaine might be right for you.
Members of the media can contact media@beond.us.
This research was, in part, funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the United States Government.