On Thursday, June 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host an all-day public meeting titled “Understanding Current Use of Ketamine for Emerging Areas of Therapeutic Interest.” FDA is offering registration either virtually or in-person in Washington, D.C. Currently, ketamine is FDA-approved for induction and maintenance in general anesthesia; Esketamine nasal spray is FDA-approved for treatment-resistant depression in adults. Ketamine infusions for depression have yet to be FDA-approved. According to the FDA announcement, the meeting will explore topics, such as “the scope of ketamine use, including approved products and compounded products, for these emerging areas of therapeutic interest; potential safety concerns; and online promotion of and access to ketamine.” This meeting is open to anyone interested in this issue and will include clinicians, academic researchers, patients and patient advocates, professional organizations, and federal partners as speakers. AANA staff will be in attendance as well. For further information on this issue, AANA recently issued practice considerations for ketamine therapy for psychiatric disorders and chronic pain management.
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