Seven clinical trials testing the use of potential breakthrough combination therapies to treat debilitating mental illnesses will receive a total of almost $15 million from the Australian government’s Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).

The seven projects awarded funding under the government’s Innovative Therapies for Mental Illness Grant will accelerate global efforts to find new treatments for mental illness by supporting Australian-led research into the safety and efficacy of these drugs compared to standard therapies when used in controlled conditions and accompanied by psychotherapy.

The trials have the potential to provide breakthrough treatment for people suffering from persistent mental illness including major depression with alcohol use, anorexia nervosa, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders.

The largest of the grants, more than $3.8 million, will go to a research team at the University of Melbourne for a trial of MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) assisted psychotherapy for treatment resistant social anxiety in young adults with autism spectrum disorder.