Ketamine: From Club to Clinic

For the estimated 2.8 million Americans suffering from treatment-resistant depression (TRD), the arrival of esketamine nasal spray in 2019 couldn’t come soon enough. The FDA’s decision to approve the drug, the first ketamine-based antidepressant, was the latest chapter in ketamine’s journey from anesthetic to club drug to antidepressant. It was also the result of two decades of research, including by Dennis S. Charney*, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and James Murrough, MD, PhD, Director of the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment. On Road to Resilience, Dr. Murrough explains about how ketamine differs from existing antidepressants and shares actionable insights into the neurobiology of depression.

Dr. James Murrough, MD, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience and Director of the Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

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*Dr. Charney is a named co-inventor on several issued and pending patents filed by Mount Sinai related to ketamine and pharmacologic therapy for treatment-resistant depression, suicidal ideation, and other disorders. Patents have been licensed by Mount Sinai to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (manufacturer of Spravato) and the medical school, and Dr. Charney as a faculty co-inventor, has received and will receive future payments from Janssen. Dr. Murrough has no financial interests related to ketamine.

Check out more episodes of Road to Resilience —as well as guest pictures, transcripts, and more— on the Mount Sinai website.

Road to Resilience brings you stories and insights to help you thrive in a challenging world. From fighting burnout and trauma to building resilient families, we explore what’s possible when science meets the human spirit.