Ketamine as a Prototype of Next Antidepressant Generation

Depression is the most common mental illness in the world and is one of the top 10 causes of morbidity and mortality (Berton and Nestler, 2006; Nestler et al., 2002). 20% of the world's population suffers from depression at any time in life, 4% of men and 8% of women suffer clinically significant depression. However, depressive symptoms are more common than usual (Lehtinen, V and Joukamaa, M 1994). Depression is the second most common disability list in terms of years of disability but the World Health Organization predicts that this will be the first major health problem in the next 20 years.

Over the past decade there is increasing evidence to support the use of ketamine in the treatment of depression. Up to now, seven clinical trials included 147 ketamine treated participants that showed positive antidepressant effects. In 2006, one of the first studies showing the effectiveness of treatment for depression was done. The results showed that a single intravenous injection of N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist caused a strong and rapid antidepressant effect; importance of occurring within 2 hours after injection and continuation for 1 week did. "The new research published in 2014 concludes as follows."

For millions of people who are not comfortable with antidepressants, Ketamine offers immediate treatment opportunities. It is not clear how this new treatment works, but the doctor knows that the effect of ketamine is completely different from the effect of antidepressant drugs. It reduces ketamine internally. Millions of severe depression and suicide victims are not mitigated by placebo alone FDA needs to approve the use of medicated ketamine to save the lives of these millions of Americans.

Last year, Sarat and his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health studied part of the chemical structure of ketamine. It believes that they are the cause of the antidepressant effect of drugs. Now they are working hard to develop it as a treatment for depression. Early studies in mice showed that, unlike ketamine, the compounds they discovered do not appear to be toxic. As part of Johnson & Johnson, Janssen developed and obtained a patent for ketamine called esketamine. The doctor can use this as a nasal decongestant to deliver it to the patient. The US Food and Drug Administration has designated esketamine as a "breakthrough cure". This means that you can accelerate the drug development process over the long term and put it on the market faster. If proof of ongoing efficacy testing proved successful, Janssen can apply for escitalamine in 2018 for FDA approval.