Ketamine2022: Ketamine and Related Compounds at Oxford, UK is over. …Unforgettable!!

Thrilling?  Yes.  EYE opening?  Yes!  Opportunities?? YES!!

This week saw the best conference of the ketamine-for-depression specialization.  A gathering of neuroscience researchers, psychiatrists, chemists, and more came to share their work with ketamine and related compounds. Researchers hailed from all over the world — the Netherlands, Israel, Sweden, Greece, Ireland, Scotland, France, Australia, Italy, Canada and the US presented their work and poured out the bounty of their findings. Clinical trial sites spanned Eurasia to Australia to North America. Ketamine2022 at Oxford, UK.

There is nothing like coming together with like-minded professionals to learn and exchange ideas about this medicine we’ve seen do so much. And instinctively, our gut says it will do so much more.

Ketamine, initially developed as an anesthesia medicine. But surprised us all when we found it could treat depression extraordinarily well—depression that had not responded to other medications. From there, ketamine has gone on to be studied and used clinically to treat PTSD, bipolar depression, and it had been shown to stop suicidal thoughts, and to reduce craving and relapse in alcohol and cocaine use disorders.

Biopharma companies presented their data on the compounds they’re developing: Axsome, Clexio Biosciences, Janssen, Bexson Biomedical, Relmada Therapeutics, Perception Neurosciences.  

(These are exciting times and it’s thrilling to see what’s gone on behind the scenes during the pandemic.)

There were SO MANY, far too many to describe here. But know that the field of ketamine and related compounds in psychiatric treatment is growing all the time.

We sat at the feet of long-time respected ketamine researchers and a crowd of the best and brightest in the field.

Rupert McShane of Oxford drew together an extraordinary group.

Carlos Zarate, Jeff Becker, Jason Wallach, Roger McIntyre, Gerald Sanacora. These are household names in the world of ketamine for psychiatric treatment.

Carl Zarate is an undisputed leader in ketamine research for psychiatric disorders. He spoke on glutamatergic modulators and next-generation antidepressants. The hope is growing that even those who aren’t helped by ketamine treatment will find relief through another fast acting solution.

Roger McIntyre talked about the real world evidence that supports long term treatment with ketamine. He also participated in a debate about whether there is enough data to support widespread therapeutic use of ketamine in psychiatry for treatment resistant depression.

Jeff Becker and Jason Wallach spoke about their new system for subcutaneous delivery of ketamine for acute post-operative pain.

Jason Wallach spoke again about dissociatives–NMDA receptor antagonism and structure/activity relationships. (He is always so passionate, so brilliant, and so compelling!)

There were so many wonderful speakers, wonderful insightful topics … evidence that treatment for psychiatric disorders is full of hope on the horizon.

So more about the conference. Overall, the presentations ranged from esketamine use longterm to new oral meds which were NMDA receptor agonists for major depression. Also about subcutaneous delivery of ketamine, and IV ketamine to prevent postpartum depression after a planned C-section, and data comparing ketamine to ECT. The topics were varied, extensive, important, and innovative.  

I spoke on results from a small pilot trial my team and I are conducting using ketamine in the treatment of chronic anorexia — with a therapeutic ketogenic diet (yep! in chronic anorexia) followed by a series of ketamine infusions.

(The publication is under review, so this was the first sneak peak at the data.)

There are so many new things happening in the world of ketamine and related compounds.

Going forward, we’ll be talking about some of these topics connected to ketamine and related compounds as they develop… and change the face of therapeutic ketamine in depression and other psychiatric disorders and pain conditions.

Here at Innovative Psychiatry, people who’ve suffered from major depression and other related conditions come to us every week seeking treatment because what they’re doing isn’t working. Often they leave with hope, joy, confidence, and a spring in their step. It’s important to understand that ketamine isn’t effective for everyone. No medicine is. But it’s transformative for many who need it. And we administer ketamine using the most effective methods available.

If you suffer from major depression, PTSD, bipolar depression, social anxiety, alcohol use and substance use disorders, and/or suicidal thoughts…call us.

Like the speakers at this conference, we’ve dedicated our days to help you find resilience, restoration, and hope — through IV ketamine treatment.

When you come for treatment, you can relax in a beautiful, private treatment room to receive your infusions—knowing we use state of the art air disinfection. Using a system designed by the Department of Defense and NASA, each of our rooms is protected by plasma cell technology that destroys viruses, bacteria, and molds in the air. (Even though a new variant of Omicron is in the US now, we have extraordinary technology in our clinic to protect you from it.)

You can relax and focus on just getting better.

Call and let’s determine together if you’re a candidate for this lauded treatment. You deserve to enjoy a rewarding life. 

To the restoration of your best self,