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What is SPRAVATO™ (Esketamine)?
SPRAVATO™ is the trade name for the prescription medicine Esketamine. Unlike regular Ketamine that is usually administered Intravenously (IV), SPRAVATO™ is administered intra-nasally. SPRAVATO™ was FDA approved in March of 2019 for Treatment Resistant Depression and on August 3, 2020 was approved in adults with Major Depressive Disorder with acute suicidal ideation or behavior. Because SPRAVATO™ is FDA approved, it’s covered by many commercial insurance carriers. It is used in conjunction with an antidepressant taken by mouth and may only be administered in certified healthcare settings.
SPRAVATO™ targets the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor and is believed to work differently than currently available oral antidepressants.
Ketamine works to reverse symptoms of depression by re-fueling your brain.
Glutamate is the primary fuel source of the central nervous system. Mood disorders, in part, may be the result of our central nervous system (CNS) not having enough glutamate.
The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor is like a dam for glutamate. In mood disorders, the NMDA receptor may be dysfunctional and may remain open, allowing glutamate to flow freely in a very uncontrolled state. This decreases the amount of glutamate upstream the NMDA receptor. When glutamate levels drop to a critical level, the AMPA receptor stops functioning correctly. The AMPA receptor is responsible for neurogenesis (the formation of new nerve cells), neuroplasticity (the correct alignment of neurons), and controlling inflammation in the CNS. As the AMPA receptor frequently turns off, neurons begin shriveling up and dying off, and inflammatory processes become rampant.
Ketamine is a medication that works to slow down or stop the NMDA receptor from allowing the uncontrolled flow of glutamate through it. Ketamine selectively blocks the NMDA receptor, which allows the CNS to fill back up with glutamate.
SPRAVATO™ Risk Evaluation and Mitigation
Strategy (REMS)
Because of the risks for sedation, dissociation, and abuse and misuse, SPRAVATO™ is only available through a restricted program called the SPRAVATO™ REMS Program. SPRAVATO™ can only be administered at healthcare settings certified in the SPRAVATO™ REMS Program and to patients enrolled in the program.
Stephen Durand moved to Naples 14 years ago to attend Wolford College where he received his training as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and simultaneously earned a Master’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University. During his training, Stephen developed a love for obstetric (OB) anesthesia and decided to specialize in it. He also has been a clinical instructor for Wolford College for the past 12 years. It was during this time of working in OB that Stephen became very familiar with ketamine’s efficacy as a pharmacological agent for surgical pain.
ALLEVIANT HEALTH CENTERS OF NAPLES
1575 Pine Ridge Rd., Suite 16
Naples, FL 34109
(866) 951-HEAL
alleviant.com/naples
