Pasithea Therapeutics Corp (NASDAQ: KTTA) has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pasithea Clinics, has given the first patients intravenous ketamine therapy. Ketamine has been demonstrated to be particularly successful in treating several mental diseases, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and treatment-resistant depression, in sub-anesthetic doses.
Ketamine can potentially help address cases of mental health disorders.
CEO Tiago Reis Marques said, “With major depression the leading cause of long-term disability worldwide and mental health cases on the rise, new therapies are urgently needed for patients who do not respond to traditional treatments. Today, we are thrilled to announce that we administered our first IV ketamine infusion therapy to patients with treatment-resistant depression.”
Marques added, “This is a significant milestone for Pasithea Clinics and for patients in the U.K. suffering with mental health conditions. Decades of evidence supports the efficacy of ketamine in improving symptoms for some mental health disorders, and studies have shown that up to 70% of those who receive IV ketamine treatment will eventually show a clinical response. We are excited to continue providing treatment to patients deemed eligible to receive it.”
Ketamine repurposed for psychiatric disorders treatment
Ketamine is a medication that has been approved by the US FDA for use as an anesthetic for more than 50 years. It has recently been reconfigured for the treatment of psychiatric disorders is significantly lower doses, and it is now gaining traction as a promising treatment for mental health disorders. It has shown extraordinary efficacy and a rapid and prolonged effect in specific psychiatric diseases, including as treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Pasithea works with clinics to deliver its IV ketamine treatment. For example, it has teamed with ZEN Healthcare, a London-based network of health clinics in the United Kingdom. In addition, it has teamed with The IV Doc, Inc. in the United States to provide in-home IV ketamine infusions. Both relationships provide chances for rapid exposure and growth.
