INFLUENCING HUMAN BEHAVIOR

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01435043
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: January 1, 1973

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ORD
INFLUENCING HUMAN BEHAVIOR
ACTIVITY: Drug Research
PROGRAM: To develop ways for predictably influencing human behavior
through the use of drugs.
' The drug research program began in FY-1966 with a proposed Behavioral
Pharmacology program. The program objectives were to develop an Agency
capability to manipulate human behavior in a predictable manner through
the use of drugs and to devise defensive means or countermeasures to pro-
tect Agency personnel from drugs clandestinely administered by the
opposition. Other examples of operational situations where use of drugs
might help were interrogation situations, penetration of guarded areas,
covert action, and paramilitary operations.
A phased program was envisioned that would consist of the acquisition
of drugs and chemical compounds having desired behavioral effects, testing
and evaluating these materials through primary and secondary procedures
and toxicological studies. Promising compounds from tests with animals
were to be clinically evaluated with human subjects. It was proposed that
when testing with human subjects was required the tests would be done
jointly with the Chemical Research and Development Laboratory, Edgewood
Arsenal (EARL), and the U.S. Army. Substances of potential use, uncovered
in testing, were to be further structurally analyzed so that new
derivatives with greater utility could be synthesized.
Samples of drugs and chemicals for testing in the program were
obtained from drug and pharmaceutical companies, government agencies (EARL,
NIH, FDA, and VA), research laboratories and other researchers; most came
from the drug industries where the substance had been rejected because of
undesired side effects.
The program was made up of Projects OFTEN and CHICKWIT. Project
OFTEN dealt with the testing of the behavioral and toxicological effects
of drugs in animals and ultimately in humans; Project CHICKWIT, with the
acquisition of information and samples of new drug developments in Europe
and the Far East.
A special review panel with members from ORD and TSD was organized
to oversee the research program and to assist in the selection of
compounds for testing. Panel meetings were held periodically for progress
reports and program guidance. On several occasions upper management
including the DCI, the Executive Director/Comptroller, DDP, and the
DD/S&T were briefed on the drug research program.
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The principal contractor under Project OFTEN was
which received its first contract in FY-1966 (Table 1) and
continued under contract until J 1973 when the contract was termi-
nated by direction from the DCI. Liestablished and used test
"procedures with animals from which the behavioral effects of drugs and
chemical compounds in humans could be predicted. As the program
progressed, additional secondary screening procedures were introduced
using nonhuman primates as necessary prerequisites to testing with
hilmang employed
Universit_v_af_Pennania; as consultants and
as a subcontractor, who provided infor-
mation on new drugs and chemicals and assisted in the screening and
testing of selected new drugs and chemicals.
Synthesis-of new drugs or derivatives for Project OFTEN waS done by
Table 2). Their first work began in mid
ted with the directive from the DCI in
January 1973.
George Washington University, performed
several literature surveys tor the program under a personal services
contract (Table 3).
Contractual association with Edgewood Arsenal Research Laboratories
started in FY-1967 with a transfer of Project CHICKWIT funds to jointly
support in collecting information on and
samples of new drugs under eve opment in Europe and the Far East (Table 4
Out of this association with EARL came a sharina of information and
samples of new drugs that we tested EARL also provided us
with results that came from their clinical testing of new drugs and
chemicals using animals and humans as test subjects. These data were
merged with test data and information from other sources into a computer
controlled data base.
Edgewood Arsenal had partially investigated a potential incapacitant,
EA#3167, with animals and found it to be effective percutaneously, but
in tests with humans the drug had been only administered intermuscularly.
Our interest in further testing of EA#3167 arose from its potential threat
to U.S. VIP's and other key personnel if, indeed, it could be easily
administered by oral or trans-dermal routes. Our joint effort with EARL
to test the compound began with the $37,000 transfer in FY-1971 to support
additional pharmacological studies and clinical testing with human
volunteer subjects (five prisoners from Holmesburg. State Prison,
Holmesburg, Pa., and fifteen military volunteers) in the Edgewood program.
The protocol used by Edgewood in enlisting volunteers for the EA#3167
testing and the safeguards practiced during testing were analogous to
2
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those stated in the unclassified Report Number VII, I050 of Agent 926
by Dr. Herbert W. Copelan, Ivy Research Laboratories, Inc., submitted in
May 1970, to the Medical Research Laboratories, Directorate of Laboratories,
Edgewood Arsenal, namely:.
"The human subject in this test conducted by this organi-
zation are volunteers. There is no coercion or inducement to
volunteer except for incentive pay utilized as a part of the
test procedure and payment for discomfort of blood testing and
screening procedures. Stringent medical safeguards surround
every human test."
'Although a final report on this effort is not available, we were
informed that EA#3167 can be effectively administered by both oral and
trans-dermal routes with after effects lasting up to six weeks.
Agency support to the clinical testing of EA#3167 and collection of
information on and samples of foreign drug developments was terminated
in January 1973. Because of the prolonged after effects of EA#3167,
additional charges to the contract were made after this date for necessary
post-test follow-up observations and examinations of the volunteer.
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TABLE 1
FY
4505
5843
9384
66/67
$ 79,633
68
68,945
69
149,905
70
149,901
71
149,958
71
3,000
72
82,765
73
�
34,761
73
22,086
c. p
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TABLE 2
FY
ONR 73-530
71
72
.$49,950
16,650
73
32,667*
*As of 16 March 1973 $32,667 had been charged leaving an unobligated
amount of $18,671.
,74
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TABLE 3
GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Personal Svcs. Contract
$7,645
V
�.:
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1
TABLE 4
TRANSFERS TO EARL
FY
68
70
71
Project CHICKWIT
$12,084
5,000
r r,"
so!
Project OFTEN
37,000
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