First ever ketamine trials labelled “big step forward”Ketamine

First ever ketamine trials labelled “big step forward”

Researchers in Australia have completed the first ever trial for treating patients with depression using the drug ketamine, and the early results are positive. A team of scientists from University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Black Dog Institute conducted the trial which tested different doses of ketamine amongst 16 patients aged 60 or older. What makes this study so interesting isn’t just the drug in question but the fact that the 16 subjects in the study all had what was considered treatment-resistant depression.

Lead author and UNSW professor Colleen Loo spoke about the new studies preliminary findings stating:

These findings take us a big step forward as we begin to fully understand the potential and limitations of ketamine’s antidepressant qualities. Not only was ketamine well-tolerated by participants, with none experiencing severe or problematic side effects, but giving the treatment by a simple subcutaneous injection (a small injection under the skin) was also shown to be an acceptable method for administering the drug in a safe and effective way.

These trials have come to fruition following a paper that was written by Dr. Rupert McShane and was published in the Lancet, and highlighted the possible benefits of using ketamine to treat depression.

Via: Blackdog Institute

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