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A new type of drug for depression has been a long time coming, and Johnson & Johnson is looking increasingly likely to end the drought with esketamine—even though one of its late-stage trials missed the mark.
Two studies reported at the American Psychiatric Association (APA) over the weekend indicated the drug improved the efficacy of conventional oral antidepressants, and J&J remains confident it is on course to file the nasal spray formulation for approval in treatment-resistant depression in the second half of the year.
If approved by the FDA, esketamine would become one of the first new approaches to treat refractory major depressive disorder (MDD) in the last 50 years, and provide a new option for people—estimated to be in the millions worldwide—who struggle to control symptoms despite drug therapy.
The first of the two studies presented at APA showed that in adults with treatment-resistant depression, esketamine...