According to reports, Johnson & Johnson described development of a ketamine nasal spray for the treatment of depression during a meeting with analysts on May 23, 2013. The product is not listed among the company’s pipeline drugs in a document dated April 16, 2013 on the J&J website.
Reportedly, J&J’s nasal spray is a formulation of esketamine, an isomer of ketamine that would allow for a dose only one twelfth as much as the dose normally used for anesthesia, and has received fast track status from the FDA. A clinical trial of intranasal esketamine sponsored by Janssen Research & Development is underway.
A slide from the meeting shows data from a 2006 proof of concept study suggesting that ketamine produces significant and rapid results in depressed and suicidal patients.
Read Forbes article.
Read Reuters article.
