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Does the acute benefit of intranasal esketamine plus a new antidepressant in treatment-resistant depression (TRD) continue with maintenance treatment? Researchers examined this question in an industry-sponsored, multiphase trial.
Directly enrolled patients had not responded to 4 weeks of open-label antidepressant treatment and were then switched to duloxetine, escitalopram, sertraline, or extended-release venlafaxine plus twice-weekly, flexibly dosed esketamine nasal spray (56 or 84 mg). Transfer patients had TRD and showed response to esketamine or matching placebo in short-term studies. In a 12-week optimization phase involving responders, esketamine doses were administered from weekly to once every other week based on symptoms.
Depression …