Physicians first introduced ketamine into clinical practice in the 1960s. In 1962, ketamine was first synthesized by professor Calvin L. Stevens while at Parke-Davis Co (now Pfizer) and later went on to be patented in Belgium in 1963 as a potential substitute anesthetic to phencyclidine(P.C.P.). He was evaluating various compounds containing benzyl groups as ligands that could bind with γ-aminobutyric acid receptors found within specific nerve cells along the spine.

Ketamine got its name because it is a ketone combined with an amine. The drug was patented as a veterinary anesthetic in Belgium in 1963, and human testing began in 1964. It was FDA-approved in the United States in 1970 under the brand name Ketalar. The F.D.A. later approved Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression in adults who failed to get results from antidepressant medicines. Spravato has to be prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner.

In 1999, ketamine hydrochloride (including its salts, isomers and salts of isomers) became a Schedule III non-narcotic substance under the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) with accepted medical use. The drug is marketed as a veterinary product under Ketajet ®, Ketaset ®, SPRAVATO® (esketamine) and Vetalar ®. To be prescribed ketamine you have to have an approved medical condition or work with a doctor willing to prescribe it off-label.

Ketamine has been used for decades as injectable and short-acting anesthesia in humans and animals. The drug’s sedation properties can last up to eight hours. Like most medications, there are some risks associated with the drug, like abuse potential, which could lead to moderate physical dependence but, more importantly, high psychological ones if taken improperly without the supervision of a doctor.

Is Ketamine A “Breakthrough” Drug?

Ketamine is a “breakthrough” medical treatment for mental health disorders such as treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). It is also being used with a lot of success to treat anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (O.C.D.), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and various chronic pain-related medical conditions.