Long-term effectiveness and side-effects of intranasal esketamine in treatment-resistant depression: real-world, single-arm study of over 100 sessions.
BJPsych open January 23, 2026 Nawfel Ayad, Karim Abdel Aziz, Samer Makhoul et al. 2 citations
In a small real-world study of 20 adults with treatment-resistant depression who received at least 100 sessions of intranasal esketamine alongside oral antidepressants over an average of 2.5 years, depression and anxiety scores significantly decreased. 85% of patients showed improvement in depressive severity, with 25% achieving remission; 65% improved in anxiety severity, and 20% reached remission. Esketamine was generally well tolerated with mild, transient side effects and no serious adverse events, though 20% of patients developed urinary symptoms suggestive of cystitis, indicating a need for ongoing monitoring. The findings support the long-term effectiveness and acceptable safety profile of esketamine in complex clinical populations.