F33.2 - Major depressive disorder, recurrent severe without psychotic features
Could a nose spray help with some types of MDD?
With the holidays coming, it's important to remember that rates of clinical depression tend to increase this time of year. Unfortunately, 20-30% of depression cases are treatment-resistant. However, recent trials of esketamine nasal spray, a form of ketamine, show promise for these difficult-to-treat cases. In a recent NEJM study, after 8 weeks 28% achieved remission on esketamine plus an antidepressant, versus just 18% on quetiapine plus an antidepressant. At 32 weeks, 22% on esketamine had no relapse after remission compared to only 14% on quetiapine. This indicates esketamine could revolutionize treatment for hard-to-treat depression cases, providing new hope right when we need it most.
More details are available in the NEJM article by Reif et al (https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2304145).
Could a nose spray help with some types of MDD?
With the holidays coming, it's important to remember that rates of clinical depression tend to increase this time of year. Unfortunately, 20-30% of depression cases are treatment-resistant. However, recent trials of esketamine nasal spray, a form of ketamine, show promise for these difficult-to-treat cases. In a recent NEJM study, after 8 weeks 28% achieved remission on esketamine plus an antidepressant, versus just 18% on quetiapine plus an antidepressant. At 32 weeks, 22% on esketamine had no relapse after remission compared to only 14% on quetiapine. This indicates esketamine could revolutionize treatment for hard-to-treat depression cases, providing new hope right when we need it most.
More details are available in the NEJM article by Reif et al (https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2304145).