What is ibogaine?
- Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid from the western Central African iboga shrub that can rapidly reduce, and sometimes eliminate, opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms within a single dose.
- Ibogaine is a potential breakthrough treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) due to its unique ability to heal the neurochemical brain injury caused by opioid use and alleviate withdrawal symptoms.
- Opioid withdrawal syndrome (OWS) is the debilitating physical and neurological symptoms that are induced by the cessation of opioid consumption.
- Ibogaine has shown promising results in resolving OWS within 36 to 48 hours of administration under safe, clinically controlled conditions.
Ibogaine could reduce lifetime direct costs of OUD by nearly 90%
- A growing body of research suggests that ibogaine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) could be significantly more cost-effective than traditional medication-assisted treatments (MATs), such as methadone and buprenorphine (suboxone).
- Unlike MATs—which require long-term, or even lifelong, use—ibogaine offers a clear root-cause intervention, capable of disrupting OUD within a single dose. In one study, 30% achieved complete opioid abstinence after only one ibogaine session.
- Patients who discontinue MATs often relapse when opioid withdrawal and craving symptoms return. MAT success is therefore measured on program retention (or continuation) instead of abstinence.
- The comparative cost-analysis below predicts that ibogaine treatment for OUD could reduce the 20-year direct lifetime costs of MATs involving methadone and buprenorphine by 87% and 86%. Concurrently, this analysis reveals just how quickly per-patient costs for MATs exceed $100,000.
Cost-Effectiveness for OUD Treatment: Ibogaine vs. MATs
| Treatment | Abstinence (Retention) Rates | Year 1 Direct Cost | Year 20 Direct Costs | Ibogaine Cost Savings Per Patient |
| Ibogaine Treatment | 30% complete opioid abstinence after single session (with 31% reporting 2+ years of abstinence) | $17,000 estimate includes prescreening, travel, and an all-inclusive treatment program for mid-length stay | $17,000 – $51,000 (assumes 1 – 3 recovery attempts) | N/A |
| Methadone Maintenance Treatment | ~ 19% treatment retention within 24 months | $6,552 includes treatment, psychosocial, and medical intervention costs | $131,040 (on-going treatment costs) | 61% – 87% |
| Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment | ~ 11% treatment retention within 24 months | $5,980 includes treatment, bi-weekly visits, and standard interventions | $119,600 (on-going treatment costs) | 57% – 86% |
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Ibogaine could transform public spending on opioid treatment
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