Esketamine for depression: Exciting, but reality is difficult
The Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update November 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1002/cpu.30439 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Commentary Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Esketamine |
| Key points | Notes that esketamine (Spravato) is FDA-approved for major depression but not for pediatric use, and that this lack of approval does not preclude off-label prescribing by child psychiatrists. |
Abstract
The recent approval of esketamine (Spravato) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised many questions for psychiatrists who treat major depression, and even bigger questions for child psychiatrists. It's not approved for pediatric use by the FDA, but that doesn't mean it can't be prescribed off‐label.