FIRST ADVANCES TOWARD ALLEVIATING TRD
By Shelby Wagner
Approximately one-third of clinically depressed patients are diagnosed with treatment resistant depression (TRD), making it so traditional antidepressants – like Prozac and Zoloft – do little to alleviate the symptoms of major depressive disorders. Johnson & Johnson is aware of this; In the article, “Janssen Announces U.S. FDA Approval of Spravato™ (esketamine) CIII Nasal Spray for Adults with Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD) Who Have Cycled Through Multiple Treatments Without Relief,” Johnson & Johnson, with approval from the FDA, is making the first movement toward treatment of TRD in 30 years. Spravato™ is a nasal spray with the active ingredient esketamine, a glutamate receptor modulator, which is thought to repair the synaptic connections in brain cells for people with major depressive disorder, something that has not been achieved with regular antidepressants. Over the course of multiple trials, patients that experienced side effects of esketamine were attended to and treated within the first week of administering the new drug name of new drug for clarity. Overall, Johnson & Johnson is positive they are paving the way for treatment of TRD with the release of Spravato™ in March of 2019.
