Research and innovation

Pioneering the next generation of trauma rehabilitation

Supporting Wounded Veterans is committed to bringing evidence-based innovation into veteran rehabilitation, working with leading clinicians and researchers to explore new treatments for those who continue to live with severe PTSD despite receiving established treatments.

For some veterans, PTSD continues to dominate everyday life, affecting relationships, independence and the ability to move forward into meaningful employment. We believe they deserve access to new possibilities. That is why SWV is supporting UK research into MDMA-assisted therapy: a carefully controlled combination of pharmaceutical-grade MDMA and structured psychological therapy that may enable people to engage with traumatic memories without becoming overwhelmed.

But research is only part of our ambition. We believe pharmaceutical-grade MDMA should be rescheduled for legitimate medical research and, subject to the evidence and regulatory approval, future clinical use. Based on three years of data post the Phase III trial results, Australia, New Zealand and some states in US have already legalised this treatment. Other countries are already developing regulated pathways for MDMA-assisted therapy. We do not want the UK to fall behind in exploring new approaches to severe trauma. The treatment has already been shown to be safe and more effective that other currently available treatment. Rescheduling would reduce some of the regulatory and financial barriers to research while maintaining strict controls over recreational MDMA.

Project Renew: pioneering MDMA-assisted group therapy research

SWV is raising £2 million for Project Renew. A pioneering clinical research programme, developed with the University of Cambridge to investigate MDMA-assisted group therapy for people living with PTSD.

The trial will combine pharmaceutical-grade MDMA with a carefully structured programme of preparation, supervised therapy and integration, exploring whether the shared experience of group therapy can offer an effective and more scalable approach to trauma treatment. Subject to the necessary regulatory approvals, the research is intended to include veterans, first responders and war correspondents—people whose lives and work may have exposed them to profound trauma. Our aim is to generate robust UK evidence that can help determine whether this approach could become a safe, effective and ultimately accessible treatment for those who need new options.

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Why MDMA matters

What is MDMA-assisted therapy?

MDMA-assisted therapy combines carefully controlled, pharmaceutical-grade MDMA with a structured therapeutic programme including preparation, supervised dosing sessions and subsequent integration therapy—it is the combined treatment, not MDMA taken on its own, that is being researched.

Why is it being researched?

Research suggests MDMA may temporarily reduce fear and threat responses and increase openness and engagement, potentially enabling people with severe PTSD to work with traumatic memories that are otherwise overwhelming.

Who will the research help?

The research is intended to help people living with severe PTSD, particularly those who have not responded adequately to established treatments, with the proposed UK study expected to include veterans, first responders and war correspondents.

How is it regulated?

MDMA is currently a Class A, Schedule 1 controlled drug in the UK, so clinical research requires the appropriate clinical-trial approvals and strict Home Office-controlled-drug licensing and safeguards.

Is it legal in this setting?

Yes—Schedule 1 drugs can lawfully be used for legitimate clinical research under the necessary licences and approvals, although MDMA-assisted therapy is not currently an MHRA-authorised treatment for PTSD in the UK.

What evidence already exists?

Two international Phase 3 trials have reported greater reductions in PTSD symptoms with MDMA-assisted therapy than with the same therapeutic programme plus placebo, although the treatment remains investigational and these studies do not establish superiority over existing PTSD treatments.

How is patient safety managed?

Participants receive known, pharmaceutical-grade MDMA at controlled doses within a screened, medically supervised therapeutic protocol.

Who is delivering the trial?

SWV is preparing a UK clinical trial with Cambridge & Peterborough NHS Trust (CPFT) and Cambridge University subject to the necessary clinical-trial and controlled-drug approvals.