Spravato ® (intranasal esketamine)

Spravato® (intranasal esketamine) is a fast-acting, FDA-approved treatment for major-depressive disorder (MDD). Talk to your primary mental health provider to determine if esketamine is right for you.

Request an Appointment

For all requests:

1-319-353-6314

For all other requests:: 1-800-777-8442

What is esketamine?

Spravato (intranasal esketamine), or simply esketamine, is an antidepressant nasal spray that is FDA-approved as a stand-alone or add-on therapy for treatment-resistant major depressive-disorder (MDD) and MDD with acute suicidal thinking or behavior.

Esketamine works by increasing levels of glutamate, a chemical in the brain that helps regulate mood. By changing how glutamate works in specific areas of the brain, esketamine can help reduce symptoms of depression.

What sets us apart

University of Iowa Health Care offers the most comprehensive mental health services in Iowa. Our multidisciplinary team of specialists are experts in evaluating, diagnosing, and treating mental health conditions.

They will work with you to create an individualized treatment plan that uses the most advanced treatments and therapies available, including esketamine. Esketamine therapy requires a referral from your primary mental health provider and is often combined with other therapies such as medication management, psychotherapy (counseling), and ongoing follow-up.

How effective is esketamine?

Clinical trials of esketamine show that approximately 50% of patients report 50% or greater improvement of major depressive symptoms.

What’s the difference between esketamine and ketamine?

Esketamine is a more potent derivative of ketamine, an anesthetic drug whose clinical use dates back to the 1960s. Spravato® esketamine is administered in the form of a nasal spray, whereas ketamine is typically administered as an intravenous (IV) therapy.

What to expect

Esketamine treatment consists of twice-weekly sessions over four weeks. If the treatment is effective, your provider may recommend continuing with once-weekly treatments.

You must remain on-site for two hours following each esketamine treatment for monitoring.

You must also be accompanied by a responsible adult or caregiver who is able to remain on-site for the duration of each treatment and provide transportation.

Request a Referral

A referral from your primary mental health provider is required to receive esketamine treatment. Once the referral is received, you will be evaluated by our team to determine if esketamine is right for you.