A low-cost version of ketamine has shown encouraging results in a double-blind trial, which compared it with a placebo for the treatment of severe depression.
The research, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, was led by a team from UNSW Sydney and the affiliated Black Dog Institute.
The study reported that over one in five participants experienced total remission from their depression symptoms after a month of bi-weekly injections.
Additionally, a third of the participants saw their symptoms improve by at least 50%.
The trial involved individuals who had not responded to conventional treatments such as talk therapy, standard antidepressants, or electroconvulsive therapy.
In this trial, 20% of participants reported no longer having clinical depression, in comparison to just 2% in the placebo group.
This marks a significant and clear difference, bolstering the evidence for the potential effectiveness of ketamine in treating severe depression.
How the Trial Worked
The researchers recruited 179 people with treatment-resistant depression. Participants received two injections a week of either a generic form of ketamine or a placebo.
They were then monitored for around two hours while the acute dissociative and sedative effects wore off.
The trial was double-blind, meaning neither the participants nor the researchers administering the drug knew which patients received the generic ketamine or placebo.
This approach minimized psychological biases. The chosen placebo was also a sedative, midazolam, which helped maintain the blinding of the treatment.
Cost-Effectiveness of Generic Ketamine
One significant benefit of using generic ketamine for treatment-resistant depression is its affordability.
The patented S-ketamine nasal spray used in Australia currently costs about $800 per dose, while the generic version could cost as little as $5, depending on the supplier. This pricing difference could make treatment more accessible to a larger population.
Future Plans
Following the promising results of this trial, the researchers plan to conduct larger trials of generic ketamine over extended periods. They also aim to refine safety monitoring procedures during the treatment.
They are seeking to obtain a Medicare item number to fund this treatment due to its powerful impact and potential cost-effectiveness.
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The study was published in The British Journal of Psychiatry.
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