Preliminary results from the largest ever study of ketamine-assisted therapy (KAT) suggest that at-home ketamine therapy is both safe and highly effective in treating depression and anxiety with results outperforming traditional antidepressant treatments. The complete peer-reviewed study results are set to publish in October 2022.
The prospective open-label effectiveness trial conducted by Mindbloom, a New York-based psychedelic therapeutics company, included 1247 participants who suffered from symptoms of depression and anxiety. Following four weeks of KAT, using sublingual ketamine tablets, delivered through a telehealth provider, the participants reported significant positive outcomes.
According to the preliminary published results:
89% of the participants reported improvement in their depression or anxiety symptoms
63% of participants reported a 50% or greater reduction in symptoms
Participants reported over 30% remission of both anxiety & depression symptoms
62% of the participants reported no longer experiencing suicidal ideations
Improvements in depression symptoms were strongly higher than traditional treatments like antidepressants and also superior to results reported for IV ketamine infusions.
Side effects were minimal and limited to 5% of trial participants
Although the complete study data and details are yet to be published, the reported preliminary results suggest that at-home oral KAT can be a highly promising and cost-effective option for patients with anxiety and depression.
A side-by-side comparison of the patient outcomes across traditional psychotherapy, antidepressants, ketamine IV infusions, and sublingual ketamine tablets is suggesting far superior outcomes with the at-home sublingual treatment as demonstrated below:
With the high costs of traditional ketamine treatment and local access limitations to a ketamine therapist, an effective at-home sublingual KAT model can mean expanded access, reduced cost, and improved patient outcomes.
Although an open-label study performed by the producers and providers of the therapy is far from a double-blind placebo-controlled study, it is a great promising step towards a potentially more bright future for populations who suffer from depression and anxiety.
