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Ketamine + methadone
Ketamine and methadone together provide rapid-acting dissociative anesthesia combined with long-acting opioid analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects.
Ketamine and methadone together provide rapid-acting dissociative anesthesia combined with long-acting opioid analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects. Used for Anesthesia induction and maintenance, Acute and chronic pain management, Opioid use disorder (methadone component).
At a glance
| Generic name | Ketamine + methadone |
|---|---|
| Sponsor | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center |
| Drug class | NMDA receptor antagonist + synthetic opioid agonist combination |
| Target | NMDA receptor (ketamine); mu opioid receptor (methadone) |
| Modality | Small molecule |
| Therapeutic area | Anesthesia, Pain Management, Psychiatry |
| Phase | FDA-approved |
Mechanism of action
Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist that produces dissociative anesthesia and has rapid-acting antidepressant properties, while methadone is a synthetic opioid agonist with long half-life and analgesic properties. This combination is used clinically to provide anesthesia, analgesia, and potentially enhanced pain management or psychiatric benefits through complementary mechanisms.
Approved indications
- Anesthesia induction and maintenance
- Acute and chronic pain management
- Opioid use disorder (methadone component)
Common side effects
- Dissociation/hallucinations
- Respiratory depression
- Hypotension
- Nausea/vomiting
- Sedation
- Increased heart rate
Key clinical trials
- Ketamine for Opioid Use Disorder (PHASE2)
- The MDK Study: Using a Combination of Methadone-dexmedetomidine-ketamine for Postoperative Pain Control in Patients Undergoing Complex Spine Surgeries. (PHASE4)
- Reducing Pain With Methadone and Ketamine in Liver Transplant (PHASE4)
- Outcome of Multimodal Anesthesia Bern (NA)
- Perioperative Opioid-induced Hyperalgesia and Its Prevention With Ketamine and Methadone (NA)
- A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of REL-1017 As Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (PHASE3)
- Ketamine for OUD and Comorbid Depression (OUDCD) (PHASE1)
- The Effects of Ketamine and Methadone on Postoperative Pain for Laminectomy (PHASE4)
Primary sources
Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.
| Source | Used for |
|---|---|
| ClinicalTrials.gov | Trial enrolment, design, endpoints, results |
Competitive intelligence
For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:
- Ketamine + methadone CI brief — competitive landscape report
- Ketamine + methadone updates RSS · CI watch RSS
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center portfolio CI