Eligible commercially-insured patients pay $10 per treatment for SPRAVATO® medication costs, with a $7,150 maximum program benefit per calendar year. Treatment may include up to three devices administered on the same day. Program limits apply.
A New Treatment for Depression Without the Weight Gain Side Effects. Ketamine and Esketamine (Spravato) is an innovative antidepressant that provide rapid relief of depressive symptoms without causing weight gain as a side effect. Some patients report relief within hours after treatment.
Your healthcare provider may decide that you complete the first four weeks of SPRAVATO® treatment to see whether or not you have had satisfactory improvement of depressive symptoms.
Common side effects of Spravato include:
- dissociation,
- dizziness,
- nausea,
- sedation,
- spinning sensation (vertigo),
- numbness,
- anxiety,
- lethargy,
Ketamine, by far the best-studied of these medications, is notable for its very rapid antidepressant effects. In patients with treatment-resistant MDD, ketamine has produced initial reductions in depressive symptoms within two hours, with peak effects at 24 hours.
Controlled Substance: SPRAVATO® contains esketamine hydrochloride, the (S)-enantiomer of ketamine and a Schedule III controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act.
Patients treated in outpatient settings (e.g., medical offices and clinics) must be enrolled in the program. Administered by patients under the direct observation of a healthcare provider and that patients are monitored by a healthcare provider for at least 2 hours after administration of SPRAVATO®.
BCBSNC will provide coverage for esketamine (Spravato™) nasal spray when it is determined to be medically necessary because the medical criteria and guidelines noted below are met.
Esketamine comes as a solution (liquid) to spray into the nose. For the management of treatment-resistant depression, it is usually sprayed into the nose twice a week during weeks 1–4, once weekly during weeks 5–8, and then once a week or once every 2 weeks during week 9 and beyond.
How does esketamine work? "Esketamine is working on the glutamatergic system, and that's thought to create synapses in the brain. When we have depression, sometimes we don't have as many connections or synapses within the brain cells, so those synapses go away.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Spravato (esketamine) nasal spray, in conjunction with an oral antidepressant, for the treatment of depression in adults who have tried other antidepressant medicines but have not benefited from them (treatment-resistant depression).
The antidepressants most widely prescribed for anxiety are SSRIs such as Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Lexapro, and Celexa. SSRIs have been used to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Brexanolone was approved by the FDA in March 2019. Also in March 2019, the FDA approved an equally remarkable new medication – esketamine – which targets treatment-resistant depression (TRD). TRD is a form of depression that doesn't get better even after the patient has tried at least two antidepressant therapies.
Call a Janssen CarePath Care Coordinator at 844-777-2828, Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET for more information, including help in finding a certified SPRAVATO® treatment center. Visit Spravato.
You should not eat for at least 2 hours before taking SPRAVATO® and not drink liquids at least 30 minutes before taking SPRAVATO®. If you take a nasal corticosteroid or nasal decongestant medicine take these medicines at least 1 hour before taking SPRAVATO®.
On March 5, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first truly new medication for major depression in decades. The drug is a nasal spray called esketamine, derived from ketamine—an anesthetic that has made waves for its surprising antidepressant effect.
The cost for Spravato nasal spray 28 mg is around $656 for a supply of 2 spray, depending on the pharmacy you visit. Prices are for cash paying customers only and are not valid with insurance plans. This Spravato price guide is based on using the Drugs.com discount card which is accepted at most U.S. pharmacies.
