A nasal spray for really bad depression
'That's the Esketamine, Baby, there's Nothing You Can Do about It!' An Update on Glutamatergic System in Suicidal Depression.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Doctors tested a nasal spray called esketamine for people with depression that didn't get better with other treatments. It worked fast and helped some people feel better, even when they were thinking about suicide.
Surprising Findings
Phase III trials of intranasal esketamine showed discrepancies in efficacy compared to Phase II results.
Phase II trials are smaller and often show strong effects; Phase III are larger and more rigorous—so when they contradict earlier results, it suggests the initial excitement may have been overestimated.
Practical Takeaways
If you or someone you know has treatment-resistant depression with suicidal thoughts, ask a psychiatrist about esketamine as a potential option under close supervision.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Doctors tested a nasal spray called esketamine for people with depression that didn't get better with other treatments. It worked fast and helped some people feel better, even when they were thinking about suicide.
Surprising Findings
Phase III trials of intranasal esketamine showed discrepancies in efficacy compared to Phase II results.
Phase II trials are smaller and often show strong effects; Phase III are larger and more rigorous—so when they contradict earlier results, it suggests the initial excitement may have been overestimated.
Practical Takeaways
If you or someone you know has treatment-resistant depression with suicidal thoughts, ask a psychiatrist about esketamine as a potential option under close supervision.
Publication
Journal
Current topics in medicinal chemistry
Year
2020
Authors
D. D. Berardis, C. Tomasetti, M. Pompili, G. Serafini, F. Vellante, M. Fornaro, A. Valchera, Giampaolo Robert Perna, Umberto Volpe, G. Martinotti, S. Fraticelli, M. Giannantonio, Y. Kim, L. Orsolini
Related Content
Claims (6)
A nasal spray called esketamine can help people with severe depression that didn’t respond to other treatments, by fixing how brain cells talk to each other and helping them form better connections.
A nasal spray called esketamine may quickly and lastingly help people with severe depression that hasn’t responded to other treatments — and it might also reduce thoughts of suicide.
Giving esketamine through an IV can quickly and lastingly lift depression in adults who haven’t responded to other treatments.
Some studies show that a nasal spray called esketamine helps with severe depression, but other bigger studies don’t show the same level of help—so scientists are confused about whether it really works as well as first thought.
The FDA gave a special fast-track approval to a nasal spray called esketamine for people with severe depression who might try to kill themselves, not because they’re sure it works, but because they felt it was urgent to try.