What is Spravato Treatment?
Spravato (generic name esketamine), is a medication used by those with a depressive disorder who have not responded sufficiently to other forms of depression treatment. Molecularly, it is half of the molecular composition of ketamine, the s-isomer, hence the name s-ketamine or esketamine. Ketamine itself is a 60-year-old FDA-approved anesthetic. In the early 2000s, researchers began demonstrating ketamine’s rapid-acting antidepressant effects when provided intravenously in small doses. After a significant amount of peer-reviewed research on intravenous ketamine accumulated, early pioneers Dr. Steven and Sam Mandel, Cofounders of Ketamine Clinics Los Angeles, started offering ketamine infusions to treatment-resistant patients in 2014.
Spravato, on the other hand, is administered as a nasal spray and must be provided with an oral antidepressant. It is self-administered but only under the direct supervision of a licensed medical professional in a clinical setting. Spravato is typically given two times per week for the first month, followed by once a week ongoingly for maintenance treatment.
