FDA approves first major depression drug in decades

The FDA just approved esketamine, the first novel drug for depression in decades. The drug — which is delivered as a nasal spray in combination with oral antidepressants — offers a new option for patients who haven’t responded to existing therapies. Many experts are excited by esketamine because it could work faster than existing antidepressants. The drug — developed by Johnson & Johnson and related to the anesthetic ketamine — comes with a wholesale price of between $590 and $885 per treatment session. Given concerns about ketamine abuse, the company has restrictions and monitoring programs in place to prevent misuse and diversion of esketamine.