Psychiatria pre prax 2/2021

Intranasal esketamine – new perspective in the management of treatment-resistant depression

At present, increasing remission rates and shortening the latency period before the onset of antidepressant action remain a considerable unmet clinical need in treating depression. The main goal is to review the pharmacological and clinical aspects of esketamine, a non-competitive N-methyl D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist. European Medicines Agency approved this medication in combination with SSRI or SNRI antidepressants for adult patients with a major depressive disorder resistant to treatment, when at least two other treatments have failed, in the current moderate to a severe depressive episode. Esketamine has a favourable risk to benefit profile, with well-documented efficacy in reducing depressive symptoms more rapidly than oral antidepressants.

Keywords: antidepressants, esketamine, intranasal, depression, treatment-resistant depression