Intravenous arketamine for treatment-resistant depression: open-label pilot study
European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience February 20, 2020 G. C. Leal, I. D. Bandeira, F. S. Correia-Melo et al. 257 citations
A single intravenous infusion of arketamine (0.5 mg/kg) rapidly reduced depression severity in seven people with treatment-resistant depression. The Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale score fell from an average of 30.7 before infusion to 10.4 after one day, a mean drop of 20.3 points. Dissociative side effects were nearly absent. The findings suggest arketamine may produce fast-onset and sustained antidepressant effects with a favorable safety profile, as previously observed in animals, but controlled trials are needed to confirm.