Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Ketamine Derivatives as NMDAR Antagonists.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 23, 2024 Shiyun Li, Bin Wen, Wei Zhao et al. 4 citations
Sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine rapidly reduce depression and suicidal tendencies in patients with treatment-resistant depression and major depressive disorder, but its anesthetic and psychotomimetic side effects limit clinical use. A novel series of ketamine derivatives designed as NMDAR antagonists was synthesized; compounds 23 and 24 showed improved activity compared with ketamine, offering a new direction for developing rapid-acting antidepressants.