Esketamine
SpravatoPubChem CID 182137 · 3D model
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Blocks a brain receptor called NMDA that's involved in mood and nerve-cell communication, though doctors don't fully know why blocking it relieves depression.
How it works
Esketamine blocks a specific docking site in the brain called the NMDA receptor, which is involved in how brain cells communicate and adapt. Doctors know that blocking this receptor tends to lift depression for many patients, but — unlike older antidepressants where the chain of cause and effect is better mapped out — nobody has fully explained why blocking this particular switch produces that result. It's an effective treatment whose exact mechanism is still an open scientific question.
What it’s used for
Used for depression that hasn't responded to standard treatments, and for depression with active suicidal thoughts — in both cases alongside, not instead of, a regular antidepressant. It treats the depression itself; it isn't proven to directly prevent suicide.
- Mechanism
- Non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist
- Drug class
- Small molecule
- Therapeutic area
- CNS / Psychiatric