"Approved Nasal Spray Gives Hope to Patients with Severe Depression" - Delthia Ricks
An antidepressant inhaled as a nasal spray is the first drug approved in 30 years that acts on a different chemical system in the brain than previous medications, and is aimed at patients whose condition is so overwhelming it puts them at risk of suicide. The nasal spray delivery method is a first of its kind. “Esketamine represents the first new category of medication for depression in over 30 years, so we are all very excited by this milestone,” said Eric Nestler, PhD, director of the Friedman Brain Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “We need to better understand how the drug works in different populations of patients. And we need to better understand how exerts its antidepressant effects so that orally available medications can be developed."
— Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, President, Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System
—Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Dean, Academic and Scientific Affairs, Director, Friedman Brain Institute, Professor, Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Additional coverage: 6 ABC;NPR; Science Alert; New York Daily News; Montreal Gazette; Health Central; Tulsa World
