Ketamine nasal spray ‘improved severe depression within hours’ in US study

A nasal spray containing mind-altering “party drug” ketamine had a fast-acting effect on reducing the symptoms of severe depression, including suicidal thoughts, in a study carried out in the US.

All 68 participants were hospitalised and given antidepressants in the study, carried out by Johnson and Johnson-owned research group Janssen in conjunction with the Yale School of Medicine.

Half the patients also received a nasal spray of esketamine, one of the two molecule components in ketamine, while the others received a placebo.

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“In just a matter of hours” participants in the ketamine test group and their doctors “measured a significant improvement in symptoms of patients classed as being at high risk of suicide,” says The Independent.

Although the boost wore off over time - after 25 days, both groups were in a similar condition - the rapid effects of the ketamine spray indicate that it could be particularly beneficial for patients at risk of suicide, especially as most conventional antidepressants take four to six weeks to reach their full effect. Further research is needed before the drug can be approved for use in the US.

Ketamine, a class B drug, is licensed for medical use as an anaesthetic, but in recent years scientists have become increasingly interested in its use in mental health treatment.

Because the drug is already licensed as a medicine for its anaesthetic effects, it is already being prescribed for depression “off label” in private clinics, the BBC reports.

Dr James Stone, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, told the BBC that the results were "interesting", not least because of the involvement of pharmaceutical giant Johnson and Johnson.

“The main reason for its significance is because this is being developed by a drug company and it's potentially quite likely that this medication might become available as a treatment available on the NHS for depression,” he said.

If approved for use on the NHS, Stone said, the spray “would be aimed at people with severe depression as a second or third line of treatment if other drugs haven't worked”, including as a potential alternative to electroconvulsive therapy.