FDA approves ketamine-like drug to treat severe depression

Spravato.
(Image credit: Janssen Global Services via AP)

The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Spravato, a nasal spray that is a close chemical relation to ketamine, for use by patients with severe depression that is hard to treat.

Ketamine is used as an anesthetic, as well as a recreational party drug — sometimes called "special K" — due to its ability to cause hallucinations. Spravato targets glutamate, which is believed to restore brain connections that help ease depression, The Associated Press reports. In a trial, patients who said the drug worked for them felt its effects almost immediately.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.