Esketamine is Available at Innovative Psychiatry
The long awaited news of esketamine intranasal spray’s FDA approval for treatment resistant depression and suicidal thinking has finally arrived March 5, 2019. Janssen, owned by Johnson & Johnson, released news that their ketamine-related nasal treatment has received approval from the FDA with some safety requirements.
Esketamine Safety Requirements
We’re excited to be part of this innovative new treatment option. Innovation is what we’re all about.
First, if you receive esketamine, your doctor must register you in a special patient safety monitoring program before beginning treatment. Secondly, you must receive esketamine in your doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital — biweekly at first, then weekly. Finally, you have to remain in the office for 2 hours after each administration for monitoring and to allow side effects to subside; and you won’t be allowed to drive until the next day.
First Glutamate Modulator for Depression FDA Approved
This breakthrough treatment is unlike anything the FDA has ever approved for depression. Esketamine, derived from ketamine, the glutamate modulator that’s been taking the psychiatry world by storm in recent years. Since ketamine is generic, it’s unlikely to receive additional FDA approval for depression and suicidal thoughts.
Esketamine was developed from the ketamine compound, and it has some of ketamine’s remarkable traits. It works fast, by stimulating an abundance of branching and creates neuron connections in the brain to enhance signalling and communication between different areas of the brain. It helps repair and rebuild dendrites that have been pruned by stress, trauma, depression and the inflammatory changes they produce.
This helps your mood improve and can relieve other aspects of the disorder. It can also erase suicidal thoughts–fast.
New Antidepressant Required To Be Effective
Esketamine nasal spray requires that you start a “newly initiated antidepressant” to take along with it. Or better said, we’ll all need to combine esketamine with a new antidepressant that you start at the same time. This is in contrast to just adding it onto an antidepressant you’re already on that’s not working well. The combination of esketamine and a newly-started antidepressant together provided at least a 50% reduction of depressive symptoms in 70% of subjects.
Esketamine Nasal Spray Covered by Insurance?
And here’s a huge benefit: we expect insurance companies to cover esketamine. Insurance companies prefer to cover medicines approved by the FDA. When Janssen announced that an independent panel for the FDA had approved esketamine for safety and effectiveness, there was also news that insurance companies were negotiating with Janssen to cover it.
Insurance coverage will allow a broader group of people to receive a ketamine-related treatment for depression: those who have insurance but may not be able to afford ketamine infusions.
Now you have more options: IV ketamine or esketamine nasal spray. You choose.
Here in Connecticut, kwe’re on the cutting edge because we offer both at our practice. We’re the most experienced ketamine treatment center of Connecticut — and we’ve offered IV ketamine for years.
At Innovative Psychiatry in South Windsor, CT esketamine (Spravato) is a treatment we’re looking forward to offering. And we’re participating in the esketamine program. We’re ramped up and ready to provide this brand new treatment to our patients.
Providing treatments that bring real relief of symptoms is why we’re here for you… in fact, it’s why we get up in the morning! (And stay up late at night.) Please contact us here to book an appointment.
To your wellbeing and joy,
