LSD (Lysergic Acid Diethylamide)
CompoundClassic psychedelic known for extended duration and profound perceptual and cognitive effects.
Example: It's the compound the U.S. Army tested on 741 soldiers without informed consent in the 1950s-60s — see that history and where its patents and clinical development stand today.
What is LSD?
A classic psychedelic synthesized from ergot alkaloids, known for a long duration — typically 8 to 12 hours — and profound perceptual and cognitive effects.
Is LSD legal?
Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act — the category reserved for substances deemed to have no accepted medical use — though that's now being tested clinically.
What is LSD being studied for?
Generalized anxiety disorder is the furthest-along indication: Definium's DT120, an LSD-derived candidate, holds FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation and has posted two positive Phase 3 trials. See our LSD patent coverage.
Did the US government test LSD on soldiers?
Yes — the U.S. Army tested it on 741 soldiers without informed consent in the 1950s-60s. See that history.
Related Articles
Psychedelics in Uniform: What the Military Did to Soldiers, and What the VA Is Now Asking of Veterans
The Army spent decades dosing enlisted men with psychedelics they weren't told they were taking. Eighty years later, the VA and Pentagon are running versions of the same experiment again — with consent forms, IRBs, and an executive order behind them.
LSD Has 14 Patents in Our Tracker. The Company Closest to Approval Owns One.
A company-by-company look at the smallest patent footprint of any compound on our tracker — and why Definium, the company furthest along in trials, barely shows up in it.