logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
23m 56s

The New Hit Depression Treatment? A Keta...

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

After it was approved in 2019, Spravato, a depression treatment derived from the club drug ketamine, was looking like a dud. But recently it has taken off, and it surpassed $1 billion in annual sales last year for its maker, Johnson and Johnson.


Further Listening:

-A Lawyer Says He Doesn't Need Help for Psychosis. His Family Disagrees. 

-America's Maternal Mental Health Crisis 


Further Reading:

-J&J’s Ketamine-Derived Drug Is Taking Off 

-Big Pharma Walked Away From Mental Health. Why Some Are Coming Back. 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 14
Why Elon Musk’s AI Chatbot Went Rogue
Last week, Grok went rogue. The AI chatbot – which users can interact with on X – posted antisemitic comments and graphic descriptions of violence before being deactivated, leaving users with a question: Where were Grok’s guardrails? WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy breaks down what happen ... Show More
22m 52s
Jul 11
Can Superman Save Warner?
The man of steel is back in a new $225 million reboot. Riding on this weekend’s release is the hope that DC Studios will finally begin to match the past successes of its archrival Marvel. Its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery views DC Studios as critical to its success or fai ... Show More
22m 36s
Jul 10
Who Will Be the Next Fed Chair? Maybe Kevin
For years, President Trump has feuded with the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates. And now, two Republicans named Kevin (Kevin Hassett, one of Trump’s closest economic advisers and Kevin Warsh—a former Fed governor) are vying to be the next chairman of th ... Show More
22m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 6
Laura Delano: The Dark Truth About Antidepressants, SSRIs, and the Psychiatrists Lying for Profit
Doctors told a teenage Laura Delano she had something they called bipolar disorder, and then proceeded to make her legitimately crazy with psych drugs. She’s one of the few who recovered. (00:00) Introduction (01:20) Why Is the New York Times Mad at Delano for Getting off Antidep ... Show More
2h 28m
Dec 2023
The Truth About Ketamine: Depression Cure, Health Fad, or Placebo?
One week ago, Matthew Perry’s autopsy report came back, finding that the ‘Friends’ actor died from the acute effects of ketamine overdose. His death has sharpened focus on the popular and controversial drug. Ketamine has been hailed as a miracle cure for depression and anxiety, c ... Show More
43m 52s
May 11
How Ketamine is Changing Depression Treatment – Dr. John Krystal Explains
Dr. John Krystal, a leading psychiatrist and neuroscientist, explains how ketamine works in the brain, why it’s revolutionizing depression treatment, and what the future holds for psychedelic-assisted therapy. His journey to discovering the revolutionary benefits of Ketamine trea ... Show More
21m 52s
Aug 2024
The Wild West of Ketamine Treatment
New developments in actor Matthew Perry’s death are shining a light on the ethics and efficacy of using ketamine as a therapeutic drug. To learn more about the promise and pitfalls of ketamine treatment, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta turns to David Feifel, on ... Show More
35m 13s
Jan 2025
Could psychedelics help patients in therapy? | Benjamin Lewis
It's time to make psychiatry more psychedelic, says psychiatrist Benjamin Lewis. Sharing results from his clinical trial on psychedelic-assisted therapy, he highlights how group therapy paired with the safe use of psilocybin, a compound found in magic mushrooms, has the potential ... Show More
32m 3s
Apr 2025
How ketamine’s on the rise and getting into the UK
Recreational use of the Class B drug doubled in 2024. A Sunday Times investigation has looked into where it's coming from and why it's so hard to police.This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://the ... Show More
22m 55s
Apr 2017
TAP 204 - Robert Whitaker on The Facts And Myths About Antidepressants
Summary: This week we chat with Robert Whitaker about the myths and science behind psychiatric drugs. Robert is the author of five books. In 2010, his Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness won the U.S. Investigative R ... Show More
1h 10m
Mar 2024
Ibogaine might cure addiction. But the drug is illegal in the U.S.
The Baltimore Business Journal's Melody Simmons talks about the economic impact expected from the Baltimore bridge collapse. And, the Washington Post's Cristiano Lima-Strong explains a new law in Florida that seeks to prevent children under 14 from joining social media. Then, New ... Show More
25m 59s
Aug 2024
Ecstasy Therapy: How MDMA became medicine
Military veterans are unlikely collaborators with the psychedelic counterculture. The two groups’ efforts are being tested this month, when the FDA is poised to announce whether or not it’ll approve MDMA for PTSD.This episode was reported and produced by Haleema Shah, edited by L ... Show More
29m 38s
Jan 2025
Are GLP-1 Drugs "the Greatest Medical Breakthrough of the 21st Century"?
In the past few years, we've learned that GLP-1 drugs don’t just help with diabetes or increase people’s feelings of fullness to help them lose weight. They have broad effects on substance abuse and behavior. They even seem to help with otherwise incurable illnesses, like Alzheim ... Show More
1h 4m