Ketamine could help thousands with severe depression, doctors say

Psychiatrists hail benefits of 'transformational' drug, and call for more trials to explore its potential

Thousands of people with severe depression could obtain urgent relief if experimental treatment using ketamine were made more widely available, medical experts say.

The drug has been championed by doctors and psychiatrists as a potentially life-changing treatment for those with depression who are resistant to medication or suicidally depressed. Medics are calling for more specialists centres and trials to be set up to explore the drug's potential under controlled conditions.