The largest-ever clinical trial of psilocybin — the psychedelic compound found in "magic mushrooms" — is set to begin by the end of December.
It's the first time a clinical trial of the hallucinogen has reached Phase 3, one of the last steps necessary before an experimental drug can go to the Food and Drug Administration for possible regulatory approval.
The research will look at whether the drug can effectively treat depression when other therapies have failed.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
For more on this story, go to NBC News.