Ketamine ‘cousin’ approved for depression treatment

Earlier today, the FDA approved esketamine (brand name Spravato), a relative of the dissociative psychedelic/anaesthetic ketamine (Special K), as a treatment for depression. Spravato comes in nasal spray form meant to be administered weekly or every other week depending on the severity of the patient’s depression.

“There has been a longstanding need for additional effective treatments for treatment-resistant depression, a serious and life-threatening condition,” said the FDA’s acting director of the Division of Psychiatry Products, Dr. Tiffany Farchione, in a press release. “Because of [safety] concerns, the drug will only be available through a restricted distribution system and it must be administered in a certified medical office where the health care provider can monitor the patient.”

Source: US FDA approved chemical cousin of dissociative psychedelic ketamine to treat depression