Henry Lucas
Sanara Legacy Group, LLC; Louisville Health & Healing, United States
Title: Ibogaine in Addiction Treatment: Emerging Evidence, Clinical Risk, and the Path From Acute Intervention to Sustained Recovery
Biography
Henry is the Founder and CEO of Sanara Legacy Group, LLC, and a behavioral health clinician and executive with more than two decades of experience in addiction treatment, mental health, and community-based care. His work spans clinical practice, organizational leadership, and behavioral health program development. His interests include addiction, trauma, sustained recovery, and emerging approaches to treatment. He is also developing an independent documentary film exploring ibogaine treatment and recovery, examining the promise and limitations of novel interventions and the question of what must occur after an acute treatment experience to support lasting behavioral change.
Abstract
Ibogaine, a psychoactive indole alkaloid, has generated growing international interest as a potential intervention for substance use disorders, particularly opioid use disorder. Reports of rapid reductions in opioid withdrawal and craving have contributed to increasing interest among patients, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. However, significant medical risks, limited controlled evidence, and uncertainty regarding long-term outcomes complicate its potential role in addiction medicine.
This presentation examines the emerging clinical evidence surrounding ibogaine and considers a critical question for addiction treatment: how might an acute intervention translate into sustained recovery?
A narrative review of published clinical literature concerning ibogaine and its active metabolite, noribogaine, was conducted, focusing on opioid withdrawal, craving, substance use outcomes, cardiovascular safety, and longer-term recovery. Findings were considered within the context of established addiction treatment and continuing behavioral health care.
Available evidence suggests that ibogaine may rapidly reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms and craving in some individuals. However, current research is constrained by small samples, observational designs, inconsistent treatment protocols, and limited long-term follow-up. Cardiovascular toxicity, including QT-interval prolongation and potentially life-threatening arrhythmias, remains a significant clinical concern.
Ibogaine represents a potentially important but still investigational approach to substance use disorders. Acute interruption of withdrawal or craving should not be equated with sustained recovery. Future investigation should examine efficacy and medical safety alongside patient selection, preparation, post-treatment integration, trauma-informed care, ongoing addiction treatment, and recovery support. As novel interventions emerge, addiction professionals must balance scientific openness with clinical rigor while considering how promising acute treatments can be integrated into comprehensive systems of long-term recovery care.
22-23 Mar 2027 
Paris, France 
