Ketamine, Glutamate, and the Future of Mood Disorders Therapeutics

In this webinar, Dr. Sanjay Mathew will review the history of ketamine for the treatment of serious depressive disorders and other similar treatments in development. Ketamine is an anesthetic drug which has recently been re-purposed at low doses for the treatment of severe mood disorders, PTSD, and suicidal ideation. The mechanism of its activity in the brain involves changes in the activity of glutamate, which is the primary amino acid neurotransmitter in the brain. Glutamate is critical for fundamental brain activities such as learning and mood. This webinar will review the history of ketamine for the treatment of serious depressive disorders. Additional drugs in development which impact glutamate and one of its primary receptors (NMDA) will also be discussed.