The MDMA for End-of-Life Palliative Care (EMMAC) Research Fund supports the pioneering work of Professor Paul Glue and collaborators at the University of Otago, who are leading New Zealand’s first clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people with advanced-stage cancer. Through AUOA, supporters in the United States provide vital early-stage funding that helps build training, clinical capability, and research infrastructure for this groundbreaking field.
This annual update highlights the scientific and clinical progress made over the past year, demonstrating how donor support has sustained momentum in a developing area of palliative care research. Contributions to the fund provide essential “seed capital,” enabling Otago to pursue innovative therapeutic approaches that conventional funding may not yet support.
A New Direction in Palliative and Mental-Health Research
The University of Otago, in partnership with the University of Auckland and independent provider Mana Health, is leading New Zealand’s first clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for people with advanced-stage cancer.
The study is led by Professor Paul Glue (Department of Psychological Medicine, Otago) and Dr Lisa Reynolds (University of Auckland), with therapist training and MDMA supply provided by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) Public Benefit Corporation in the United States.
Depression and anxiety are common in terminal cancer, often reducing patients’ quality of life and ability to find peace. MDMA temporarily reduces activity in the brain’s amygdala — the centre for fear and threat — helping individuals process emotional pain, fear of death, and unresolved experiences within a supported therapeutic environment.
Research Highlights (2024 – 2025)
- Bhagavan C., Glue P., Evans W., Reynolds L., Turner T., King C., Russell B.R., Morunga E., Mills J.L., Layton G., & Menkes D.B. (2024).
Effect of MDMA-Assisted Therapy on Mood and Anxiety Symptoms in Advanced-Stage Cancer (EMMAC): Study Protocol for a Double-Blind, Randomised Controlled Trial.
Trials, 25(1): 336. doi: 10.1186/s13063-024-08174-x
This peer-reviewed paper details the design of a four-week, double-blind trial involving 50 participants receiving either controlled MDMA or placebo (Ritalin) combined with psychotherapy sessions. - Schuman H.D.M. et al. (2025).
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for Psychosocial Symptoms in Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Current Oncology, 32(7): 380. doi: 10.3390/curroncol32070380
This review situates the EMMAC study within a growing global evidence base supporting psychedelic-assisted therapy as a promising, compassionate complement to traditional palliative care.
Media Coverage and University Communication
- “Kiwi Study Using Ecstasy to Treat Terminal Cancer Patients’ Depression” — Stuff NZ, June 27 2023.
- University of Otago News Release (2023): New psychedelic-assisted therapy trial aims to help cancer patients.
Together, these developments highlight Otago’s leadership in evidence-based exploration of new therapeutic frontiers.
Your support, channelled through AUOA, has been essential to establishing New Zealand’s capacity for this research — including therapist certification, participant coordination, and clinical oversight.
Philanthropic contributions like yours act as bridge funding, ensuring continuity during early phases before large institutional grants are secured. They also signal strong international confidence in Otago’s leadership in innovative, patient-centred care.
Your donations have supported:
- Therapist training and certification through MAPS PBC.
- Recruitment coordination and participant support.
- Clinical data infrastructure and ethical oversight.
These funds fill critical gaps between grant cycles, maintaining research momentum and ensuring New Zealand’s scientific and ethical standards remain world-class.
Looking Ahead
Recruitment and dosing are ongoing through 2025, with preliminary results expected thereafter. If successful, the EMMAC study could make New Zealand one of the first countries outside the U.S. to integrate psychedelic-assisted therapy into clinical care for palliative patients.
The EMMAC framework also lays the groundwork for complementary studies — including future investigations into LSD microdosing for cancer-related anxiety and existential distress. Continued support through AUOA will help ensure these initiatives advance safely and with scientific integrity.