In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

Federal health authorities have intensified their scrutiny of the drug ketamine for treating mental health disorders as the mind‐altering compound grows in popularity despite the lack of regulatory approval for such use, The Washington Post reported last week. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned in October about the risks of using pharmacy‐made ketamine at home, citing the case of one patient whose breathing slowed to a dangerous level after taking a large dose outside of a health care facility. Then the autopsy of actor Matthew Perry, released Dec. 15, concluded a high dose of ketamine led to his death in October — an event that, while rare, drove home the dark side of the anesthetic that can also be abused recreationally. Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration continues to craft a rule that would set new limits on how health care professionals can use telemedicine to prescribe tightly regulated drugs like ketamine. Adam Kaplin, who observed the power of ketamine while overseeing clinical trials that led to the approval of Spravato, but also saw the inconvenience and cost that comes with the FDA‐required monitoring, said he is aiming to develop a derivative of ketamine with fewer side effects. The goal, said Kaplin, chief scientific officer of Mira Pharmaceuticals, is to create a drug that the FDA will endorse as safe for patients to take at home.