VA launches PIVOT, a five-site psilocybin trial for veterans with hard-to-treat depression

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has started a multisite psilocybin trial. Announced on August 5, 2026, the trial is called PIVOT, short for Psilocybin Intervention for Veterans Overcoming Treatment-Resistant Depression. It will compare two dose levels of psilocybin in veterans whose major depression hasn't responded to existing treatments, with or without PTSD.

"Far too many Veterans are living with mental health conditions that don't respond to available treatments," VA Secretary Doug Collins said in the announcement.

Key facts about the PIVOT trial

The VA release doesn't name the company supplying the psilocybin, so it isn't confirmed whether the trial uses any particular commercial product. The VA says it is involved in 20 active psychedelic clinical trials in all, and that it will consider clinical use of psychedelics outside research only after FDA approval.

How veterans can find psilocybin trials

Clinical trials are one of the few legal ways to receive psilocybin in most of the country. To look up PIVOT, search for NCT07226232 on ClinicalTrials.gov, the federal registry where sponsors post a study's status, locations and eligibility criteria. You can also search the registry for "psilocybin" plus your state to see other studies. The PIVOT record lists an estimated 240 participants; check the record itself for current recruitment status rather than relying on news coverage.

Other veteran-focused research is also under way. An Ohio State University pilot study of 12 veterans with severe treatment-resistant PTSD, published in Communications Medicine on July 30, 2026, reported that 75% met response and remission criteria one month after treatment, with no serious adverse events. It was small and open-label, with no comparison group, so it's an early signal rather than proof. For more on trials and state-licensed programs, see our guide to psilocybin therapy near you.

What Congress and the White House are doing

On March 9, 2026, Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Dave McCormick (R-PA) introduced the Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act. It would require the VA to set up at least five centers of excellence for therapies including psilocybin, MDMA and ibogaine, funded at $30 million a year. As of October 2026 the bill has only been introduced, with no committee action found.

Executive Order 14401, signed April 18, 2026, also tells HHS and the FDA to work with the VA on trial participation, data sharing and real-world evidence. On July 22, 2026, the House adopted amendments to its version of the annual defense bill that would codify parts of that order, including a VA oversight official within 90 days. Senate action on those provisions was not confirmed as of October 2026.

The Defense Department runs a separate psychedelic research program created by the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, but its two funded trials study MDMA, not psilocybin.

What this means right now

PIVOT won't produce results for years: its estimated primary completion date is December 2030. Until then, psilocybin remains a Schedule I drug federally, and the VA doesn't offer it outside of research. Our psilocybin research page tracks the larger trials and where FDA review stands.