A combination of ketamine and low-dose buprenorphine may help sustain reductions in suicidal thoughts among patients with major depressive disorder, according to a study published May 19 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Here are five things to know:
- The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial enrolled 50 adults with major depressive disorder and suicidal ideation between November 2020 and March 2025 at Stanford (Calif.) University School of Medicine.
- All participants received a single IV ketamine infusion before being randomized to receive either sublingual buprenorphine or placebo for four weeks.
- Researchers found suicidal ideation scores declined in both groups, but reductions were greater among patients who received buprenorphine after ketamine treatment. By day 31, 78% of participants in the ketamine-buprenorphine group met response criteria, compared with 48% in the placebo group.
- The study found no statistically significant differences in depression scores between the two groups, though both groups experienced improvement.
- Researchers reported no serious treatment-related adverse events and said the findings provide the first evidence from a randomized controlled trial that a pharmacologic intervention can extend ketamine’s antisuicidal effects in patients with major depressive disorder.
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