A review of 56 registered clinical trials on ketamine and esketamine for treatment-resistant depression found that research activity increased since 2008, with peaks in 2015 and 2021. Most trials were Phase 2 or 3, examining these drugs as individual or combination treatments. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale was the most common outcome measure. While large-scale, late-phase trials of esketamine are growing, many trials fail to assess patient characteristics like age, sex, and race that may affect treatment response. Understanding these design gaps can help scientists and funding bodies prioritize high-quality research.
Repeated sessions of ketamine assisted psychotherapy (KAP) led to complete and sustained remission in a 21-year-old woman with extreme and enduring bulimia nervosa, a rare outcome for such severe cases. The patient had 40 binge-eating and purging episodes per day that had not responded to prior pharmacological and behavioral treatments. She underwent three courses of KAP over 3 months, each with six sessions twice weekly. Binge-eating and purging reduced dramatically after the first course, with complete cessation of symptoms achieved 3 months post-treatment, and remission sustained for over 1 year. This first report suggests repeated KAP is a promising intervention for bulimia nervosa.