At home sublingual ketamine exhibits rapid and significant antidepressant and anxiolytic effects
Psychiatrists and researchers from MAPS, the Cleveland Clinic, UCSF, NYU and Houston Methodist have found in a new study that at-home sublingual ketamine therapy can be a safe, effective treatment for anxiety and depression.
The study is going to be published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.
Across a cohort of 1,247 patients, 89% of participants presenting with anxiety and/or depression showed an improvement in their symptoms after just four sessions.
In total, 63% of participants saw a greater than 50% improvement in their symptoms. These results are 34% stronger1 than what has been observed in studies of traditional antidepressants (such as SSRIs) and 54% stronger than results shown in studies of psychotherapy.2
Outcomes were also shown to be 17% stronger than those observed in studies of ketamine infusion treatments, despite Mindbloom's sublingual ketamine treatments being cheaper and less invasive.
"This landmark study showed outcomes for at-home ketamine therapy that far exceeded those of traditional depression treatments," said Mindbloom Medical Director Dr. Leonardo Vando. "This therapy compares very favorably against studies on traditional treatments like SSRI antidepressants and talk therapy. We believe that the support provided by our clinicians and guides and the comfort of our at-home, needle-free administration method contribute to the therapy's effectiveness."
The study also found that 62% of patients presenting with suicidal ideation prior to treatment no longer reported any suicidal ideation after four sessions.
Side effects were also shown to be rare. Fewer than 5% of patients reported any side effects, and of the 1,247 patients in the study, only four dropped out of treatment due to adverse events.
"The results of this study make it clear that ketamine therapy is the future of mental healthcare," said Mindbloom Founder & CEO Dylan Beynon. "This groundbreaking study is an opportunity to dispel common misconceptions about ketamine therapy, and to help us bring its healing power to more people than ever before."
Reference:
Madhukar H Trivedi, A John Rush, Stephen R Wisniewski, Andrew A Nierenberg, Diane Warden, Louise Ritz, Grayson Norquist, Robert H Howland, Barry Lebowitz, Patrick J McGrath, Kathy Shores-Wilson, Melanie M Biggs, G K Balasubramani, Maurizio Fava, DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.1.28
