Effectiveness of intranasal esketamine in the treatment of patients with treatment-resistant depression: an observational study based on data collected in a Spravato treatment program at the Institute of Living, Hartford, CT.
Psychopharmacology February 2, 2026 Benjamin Anderson, Andrew Winokur, Grace Chan 1 citation
Intranasal esketamine, approved by the FDA in 2019 for treatment-resistant depression (TRD), showed real-world effectiveness in a clinical setting in Hartford, Connecticut. In a sample of 50 patients whose moderate to severe baseline depressive symptoms were measured with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), symptoms reduced to the mild range after 4 weeks, and this improvement was sustained over 16 weeks of treatment. Adverse effects were transient and generally mild, with dissociation and sedation being most common; there were no safety events, misuse, or dependence, and very few discontinuations due to tolerability. The findings indicate that intranasal esketamine augmentation therapy is safe and effective in routine clinical practice.