A Phase II, Open-Label Clinical Trial of Intranasal Ketamine for Depression in Patients with Cancer Receiving Palliative Care (INKeD-PC Study)
Cancers January 7, 2023 Joshua D. Rosenblat, Froukje E. deVries, Zoe Doyle et al. 49 citations
In patients with advanced cancer and major depressive disorder, three flexible doses of intranasal ketamine (50–150 mg) over one week produced rapid antidepressant effects. By day 8, 70% of participants showed a response (depression scores reduced by more than half) and 45% achieved remission. Depression scores dropped from an average of 31 to 11, a decrease of 20 points. Some benefit persisted into the second week without further doses. Side effects were mostly mild and temporary, including fatigue, dissociation, nausea, altered taste, and headaches; one participant withdrew due to a negative dissociative episode. Larger controlled trials are warranted.