Could a ketamine mist lift severe depression fast?

NCT ID NCT06752759

Symptom relief Sponsor: Theresa Jacob, PhD, MPH Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether inhaling ketamine through a nebulizer can quickly reduce symptoms of moderate to severe depression in hospitalized adults. About 40 participants will receive either ketamine or a placebo (midazolam) and be monitored for changes in depression scores over 8-10 days. The goal is to see if this approach offers a fast-acting treatment option for those in need.

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Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 3

Large-scale testing in a bigger group. Usually the last step before a treatment can be approved.

Participants

About 40 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Oct 2024

Expected to finish

Sep 2027

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 to 88 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * All individuals 18 years and older with a Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score (MADRS) ≥ 20 * Must have a diagnosis of moderate to severe Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) * Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5) will be performed to confirm MDD diagnosis Exclusion Criteria: * Adult patients with an allergy to Ketamine * Adult patients with an allergy to Midazolam * Individuals with a history of mania/hypomania or diagnosis of bipolar disorder * Patients on lithium and/or lamotrigine therapy * Recent or current homicidal ideation with an intent to act * MDD with psychotic features or current or past diagnosis of a psychotic disorder * No substance use disorder in the preceding 3 months except nicotine or caffeine or a positive urine screen for substances (except cannabis) * Diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, intellectual disability, altered mental status, pregnant or breastfeeding patients, * Patients on \> 2 medications for hypertension * Patients with uncontrolled hypertension (BP \>140 mm Hg systolic and/or \>90 mm Hg diastolic on two separate readings at the time of screening) * Body weight of \> 150kg * Patients with history of congestive cardiac failure * Day of presentation, patients with unstable vital signs (systolic blood pressure \<90 or\>160 mm Hg, pulse rate \<50 or \>150 beats/min, and respiration rate \<10 or \>30 breaths/min) * Consumption of opioids within 24 hours of drug administration * Acutely intoxicated patients will also be excluded

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Depression depressive disorder major depressive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Analgesics, non-narcotic Anesthetics agent Anti-anxiety agents Anti-inflammatory agents, non-steroidal Central nervous system agents Depressive symptom Hypnotics and sedatives Ketamine Midazolam Moderate depression Neurotransmitter agents Peripheral nervous system agents Physiologic effects of drugs Psychotropic drugs Sensory system agents Severe depression Tranquilizing agents

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
The official record

ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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A doctor treating you

A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

Could a ketamine mist lift severe depression fast?

What the study statuses mean