The dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Gonzalo Herradón, addressed at the National Royal Academy of Pharmacy (RANF) the risks posed by new designer drugs and the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, “a phenomenon that is overwhelming regulatory systems and raising major healthcare challenges.”
Entitled “New Psychoactive Substances: A New Pharmacology Out of Control”, the conference examined the constant emergence of compounds such as Nitazenes, Cathinones, and synthetic cannabinoids, characterised by novel chemical structures, high potency, and unpredictable effects — factors that increase the risks of toxicity, mortality, dependency, and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Only a few weeks ago, the first death caused by Nitazenes in Spain was recorded: a 21-year-old student in Navarra. “This may only be the tip of the iceberg regarding the consumption and mortality associated with these substances in Spain, as they are extremely difficult to detect and have a potency between 10 and 100 times greater than fentanyl,” warned Herradón.
In his lecture, The Professor of Pharmacology focused on psychedelics and other new psychoactive substances (NPS), examining their mechanisms of action while highlighting both the risks associated with these substances and the growing body of scientific evidence supporting their therapeutic potential. In particular, Herradón emphasised recent research advances in the use of psilocybin for treatment-resistant major depression, as well as MDMA (ecstasy) in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.
“The evidence accumulated in recent years, despite the limitations and challenges involved in this type of clinical research, makes us optimistic that the use of these substances may represent a turning point in the treatment of these mental illnesses,” the professor argued during his talk.
The scientific session, promoted by the University Institute for Addiction Studies (IEA-CEU) and the Primary Care Addiction Research Network (RIAPAd), also featured Dr Fernando Rodríguez de Fonseca, who provided an overview of the epidemiological context, situating Spain within the wider European epidemiological framework and highlighting the rapid spread of these substances and their particular impact on vulnerable populations.
The session concluded with a debate that underscored the need to strengthen rigorous research and adopt multidisciplinary approaches capable of balancing scientific progress and new therapeutic possibilities with the protection of public health in the face of an ever-evolving challenge.
Information about the session and the full recording are available in the RANF repository.