A nasal spray containing a ketamine derivative appears to beat one of the standard drugs used for people with difficult-to-treat depression, a new clinical trial has found.
The condition, which plagues up to 30% of people with depression, is generally diagnosed when a person's symptoms have failed to yield to at least two standard antidepressants. It's a situation that places people at increased risk of hospitalization and suicide. "This study provides valuable data to inform long-term clinical decision-making for a large patient population — for whom such treatment goals are rarely met," Reif said.
But researchers have long been aware of the drug's potential to treat psychiatric symptoms, at low doses under medical supervision. Ketamine is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating depression. But doctors can and do prescribe it "off label" for that reason, in which case it's given by IV.
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