Intranasal esketamine for depression: Not so special K
Australasian Psychiatry August 1, 2022 Stephen Rosenman 2 citations
Intranasal esketamine, recently approved for resistant depression, costs around $600 per dose, whereas plain injected ketamine costs less than $20 per dose. Research indicates that intranasal esketamine is less effective and has more unwanted effects than injected ketamine. The approval means this intranasal formulation will now be the form used and researched. While the approval of an inferior treatment mode is understandable given medicine approval processes, careful thought is needed before embracing this particular form of a promising treatment.