Recently, Yichang Renfu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. received the Drug Clinical Trial Approval Notice for Esketamine Hydrochloride Injection from the National Medical Products Administration, approving the clinical trial of this product for depression with acute suicidal ideation or behavior.

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, and patients with acute suicidal ideation or behavior face an extremely high risk of death. Depressed patients with active suicidal thoughts and intentions require immediate intervention and treatment; the clinical need is urgent.

Unlike existing antidepressants that mainly act on monoamine pathways, esketamine exerts its antidepressant effect by antagonizing the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, rapidly alleviating depressive symptoms in adult patients with acute suicidal ideation or behavior.

Yichang Renfu Esketamine Hydrochloride Injection was approved for marketing in June 2024, with the approved indication being "used in combination with sedative anesthetics (such as propofol) for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia." This clinical approval will bring a new breakthrough to the treatment of depression, providing patients with more treatment options. The company will subsequently make every effort to ensure the smooth progress of the clinical trial of this product, and after completing the clinical research, it will submit a marketing authorization application for market approval.