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Esketamine for depression faces real‐world barriers

Alison Knopf

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly October 7, 2019 DOI: 10.1002/adaw.32501 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Commentary Peer reviewed
Interventions Esketamine Ketamine
Topics Depression Esketamine
Key points Esketamine (Spravato) has shown promise for treatment-resistant depression, and the FDA approved it in the spring for this indication, following the earlier off-label use of intravenous ketamine for depression.

Abstract

Like its predecessor intravenous ketamine, an anesthetic that has been used off‐label to treat depression, esketamine has shown great promise in treating a disease that can destroy quality of life and lead to suicide. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved esketamine (Spravato) last spring for treating depression that is resistant to traditional treatments.