Novel study reveals ‘fast-acting benefits’ of ketamine for depression

In a study recently published in The American Journal of Psychiatry, a multi-institutional group of researchers have revealed that a nasal spray formulation of ketamine holds promise in the rapid treatment of symptoms of major depression and suicidal thoughts. In the double-blind, multicenter, proof-of-concept Phase II study, the authors compared the efficacy of standard treatment plus intranasal esketamine or placebo for rapid reduction of symptoms of major depression among individuals at imminent suicide risk. The study involved 68 participants randomly assigned to one of two groups – either receiving esketamine (84 mg) or placebo twice-weekly for 4 weeks. All participants...