Ketamine for OUD and Comorbid Depression (OUDCD)

Summary

Methadone is a first-line, evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Unfortunately, retention and adherence in methadone treatment is a major challenge. OUD patients frequently present with co-morbid depression (OUDCD), a risk factor for poor OUD treatment outcomes, overdose, and suicide. The last two decades have seen an exciting and transformational development in the treatment of depression - ketamine. As a safe, rapid-acting anti-depressant deliverable within the context of methadone maintenance treatment, ketamine could feasibly change the landscape of treatment for OUD patients with comorbid depression. This proposal seeks to evaluate implementation outcomes (feasibility and patient acceptance) as well as preliminary efficacy of ketamine on methadone treatment outcomes for OUD patients (n=6) with comorbid depression and depressive symptoms presenting for methadone treatment.

Timeline

Start

2022-04-04

Primary completion

2023-11-17

Completion

2023-11-30

Publications

• Manza P, Belcher AM, Fitzsimons H, Spaderna M, Greenblatt AD, Smith HC, Derenoncourt M, Gann D, Farooq U, Kvarta MD, DiPaula BA, Merritt S, Mitic I, Zarate CA, Gould TD, Weintraub E, Kattakuzhy SM. Ketamine to enhance methadone treatment retention in patients with opioid use disorder and co-morbid depression. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2025;51(5):649-657. doi: 10.1080/00952990.2025.2541212. Epub 2025 Aug 22.

Drugs

Indications