Oral Ketamine and Therapy Show Promise for Treatment-Resistant Depression in New Zealand Trial
A clinical trial in Aotearoa New Zealand is demonstrating positive results in treating individuals with treatment-resistant depression using a combination of oral ketamine and psychotherapy.
The trial, conducted by researchers at Otago University, involves participants receiving two weekly doses of liquid ketamine mixed with orange juice. Treatment resistance – defined as a lack of response to at least two different antidepressants – affects nearly one in three people diagnosed with depression worldwide, making this research particularly significant. Researchers theorize ketamine aids the brain in “resetting” through neurogenesis, the formation of new brain cells. “I was quite sceptical coming into the trial and doing these interviews, but people generally consistently describe a period of reprieve that they experience from their depressive symptoms,” said senior lecturer Dr. Jenni Manuel.
Unlike traditional ketamine administration via injection, which carries higher risks and was linked to the death of actor Matthew Perry in 2022, this trial utilizes a method designed to minimize dissociative effects. Participants sip the mixture over 30 to 60 minutes, reporting effects similar to having one or two beers. Half of the participants are also receiving behavioural activation therapy, a form of psychotherapy, with researchers hoping to extend the positive impact beyond the eight-week ketamine dosage period. Ketamine is currently used for sedation and pain relief in New Zealand hospitals, and a small number of private practitioners prescribe it off-label for depression, though at a significant cost to patients. For more information on depression and its treatments, visit the National Institute of Mental Health.
Researchers presented their findings at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ conference in Dunedin last month and are now working to develop guidelines for wider, safer access to ketamine treatment within the public healthcare system. “So, we think the current situation should change and that ketamine should become more available for psychiatrists and clinicians to prescribe in the public system,” explained associate professor Dr. Ben Beaglehole. The trial is still recruiting participants aged 18 to 65 in Christchurch and Dunedin with treatment-resistant depression; details can be found on the University of Otago website.
