Fixed Low-Dose Oral Esketamine Fails in Treatment-Resistant Depression
This randomized trial shows a fixed low-dose oral esketamine schedule is no better than placebo for treatment-resistant depression, while an uncontrolled titrated extension leaves higher-dose oral dosing an open question.
Oral esketamine may be effective only at higher doses for resistant depression.
A significant proportion of patients with depression do not respond to existing treatments, necessitating exploration of new options. Fixed low-dose oral esketamine showed no benefit over placebo in reducing depression symptoms, but higher individually titrated doses reduced symptoms significantly. While low doses of oral esketamine are ineffective for treatment-resistant depression, higher doses may be beneficial, although dizziness and sleep hallucinations were noted. Higher titrated doses of oral esketamine may be effective for treatment-resistant depression, but fixed low doses are not.
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Study Design
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