Clinical trial shows Ketamine is effective for treatment-resistant depression

A recent clinical trial looked to identify optimal intravenous ketamine dose for the treatment of depression. This double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging trial of intravenous ketamine compared low (0.1 mg/kg and 0.2 mg/kg) standard (0.5 mg/kg), and high (1.0 mg/kg) doses. This was an outpatient study conducted across six US academic sites, including Massachusetts General Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Stanford University, University of Texas Southwestern, and Yale University.

The study showed that standard dose (0.5 mg/kg) and high dose (1 mg/kg) of intravenous ketamine were superior to active placebo. The study concluded that standard dose (0.5 mg/kg) and high dose (1 mg/kg) of intravenous ketamine were superior to active placebo and are efficacious for treatment-resistant depression as measured by several standardized depression scales.