The Washington Post (3/6, Johnson, McGinley) reports that the FDA has “approved a novel antidepressant — the first in decades to work in a completely new way in the brain — for people with depression that does not respond to other treatments.” The medication, “a nasal spray called esketamine, has been eagerly anticipated by psychiatrists and patient groups as a powerful new tool to fight intractable depression.” According to the Post, “The spray acts within hours, rather than weeks or months as is typical for current antidepressants.”

Reuters (3/5) reports that “the treatment comes with a boxed warning…flagging the risk for sedation and difficulty with attention, judgment and thinking, abuse and misuse, and suicidal thoughts after administration of the” medication. Meanwhile, the agency, “citing the risk of serious adverse outcomes and the potential for abuse and misuse…said the drug will be available through a restricted distribution system.”

The AP (3/6, Perrone) reports that “the FDA approved” the medication “based on study results that showed patients taking the drug experienced a bigger improvement in their depression levels than patients taking a sham treatment, when measured with a psychiatric questionnaire.” The medication “is designed to be lower-dose and easier to use than ketamine, which is normally given as an intravenous infusion.” According to the AP, “The nasal spray…is a chemical cousin of ketamine, which has been used for decades as a powerful anesthetic to prepare patients for surgery.”

The New York Times (3/5, Carey) reports, “Ketamine was developed more than five decades ago as a safer alternative to the anesthetic phencyclidine, or PCP, and is used worldwide, in operating rooms, on the battlefield and in pediatric clinics.” According to the Times, “By the 1990s, interest turned to the drug’s potential to combat depression.”

HealthDay (3/5, Miller, Mundell) reports that “low, intravenous doses” of ketamine “have been found to boost mood and curb suicidal thoughts, but the FDA has not approved it as a treatment for depression.” According to HealthDay, “the American Psychiatric Association (APA) warns patients about the potential for abuse and the lack of large, long-term studies of its effectiveness.” Former APA President Dr. Alan Schatzberg said, “The lack of information [on ketamine] is really quite dramatic when you look at the proliferation of use in certain communities.”

Related Links:

— “In biggest advance for depression in years, FDA approves novel treatment for hardest cases, “Carolyn Y. Johnson and
Laurie McGinley, The Washington Post, March 05, 2019

Reuters (3/5, Rapaport) reports researchers found that “when parents of boys don’t enjoy parenthood or don’t spend a lot of time playing or talking with them, their sons may be more likely to use guns in adolescence.” The study indicated “parental disengagement – caregivers who didn’t play with kids, participate in daily activities, discuss things with children, or enjoy parenting – was directly linked to teen gun carrying.” The findings were published in Pediatrics.

Related Links:

— “Hands-off parenting tied to higher risk of teen gun use, “Lisa Rapaport, Reuters, March 05, 2019

The AP (3/5, Yen) reports President Trump signed an executive order today “aimed at stemming a persistently high number of veteran suicides, urging expanded outreach by awarding grants to community programs.” According to the AP, Trump’s order “creates a Cabinet-level task force that will seek to develop a national roadmap for suicide prevention, bringing in state and local organizations to raise awareness among the high-risk group.” The order “directs the task force led by Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to finalize a plan in 12 months.”

Related Links:

— “Trump aims to stem vet suicide with outreach, local grants, “Hope Yen, AP, March 05, 2019

Medscape (3/4, Anderson, Subscription Publication) reports researchers found that “bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are both linked to increased dementia risk.” Medscape adds, “Preliminary findings from the study, which included more than 3 million US veterans, showed that those with BD or schizophrenia had a significantly higher rate of dementia compared with their counterparts without these conditions.” The findings were presented at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry 2019 Annual Meeting.

Related Links:

— Medscape (requires login and subscription)

USA Today (3/5, O’Donnell) reports a new analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data indicates the “number of deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide in 2017 hit the highest level since federal data collection started in 1999.” The study, conducted by the Trust for America’s Health and the Well Being Trust, indicated the “national rate for deaths from alcohol, drugs, and suicide rose from 43.9 to 46.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017, a 6 percent increase.” The increase was slower “than in the previous two years, but it was greater than the 4 percent average annual increase since 1999.”

Related Links:

— “U.S. deaths from alcohol, drugs and suicide hit highest level since record-keeping began, “Jayne O’Donnell, USA Today, March 05, 2019