Janssen has presented data from pivotal Phase III clinical studies backing use of esketamine spray in treatment-resistant depression.
The nasally-administered drug is a non-competitive and subtype non-selective activity-dependent N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, offering a new mechanism of action from currently available therapies for depression.
Maintenance data show that continuing treatment with esketamine nasal spray plus an oral antidepressant in patients beyond 16 weeks “showed clinically meaningful and statistically significant superiority” to treatment with an oral antidepressant plus placebo nasal spray in delaying time to relapse of symptoms of depression.
Also, patients in stable remission treated with esketamine nasal spray plus an oral antidepressant reduced the risk of relapse by 51 percent compared to patients receiving an oral antidepressant plus placebo nasal spray, the firm noted.
Read more: http://www.pharmatimes.com/news/phase_iii_success_for_janssens_esketamine_in_treatment-resistant_depression_1240737