Dennis S. Charney, MD
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 5 approved SPRAVATO™ (esketamine) CIII nasal spray for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is a co-inventor of a method of treatment, which is patented and part of the drug application for SPRAVATO, a product of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson.
“As a researcher, you strive to come up with new treatments for the patient, especially in terms of finding answers to the most debilitating diseases,” says Dr. Charney, who is also President for Academic Affairs, Mount Sinai Health System. “To know that you oversaw the early development of an approach that can make a difference in the lives of countless individuals is extremely rewarding.”
Esketamine represents the first new mechanism of action in decades to treat major depressive disorder. Delivered in the form of a nasal spray, esketamine works differently than the three classes of antidepressants that are currently on the market. The drug works on the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, an ionotropic glutamate receptor in the brain. In contrast, widely used antidepressants target different neurotransmitters—serotonin, serotonin and norepinephrine, and norepinephrine and dopamine—and can take weeks or even months to work.
An estimated 30 percent of people who are treated for depression do not respond to therapies. Treatment-resistant depression (TRD) is a devastating disease that is associated with greater morbidity, higher health care costs, and various comorbid conditions.
“We commend Dr. Charney and his colleagues for their work in changing the paradigm for patients with treatment-resistant depression,” says Kenneth L. Davis, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. “Through his commitment to innovation and science, Dr. Charney has inspired countless researchers to leverage new technologies and create discoveries to benefit the lives of patients around the world—while at the same time leading the Icahn School of Medicine to unparalleled growth and high national rankings.”
In his role as Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine, Dr. Charney says that many younger researchers look to him for advice. “I tell them that in science you’ve got to keep trying, to keep pushing,” he says. “There is a lot to be gained by working in a small group that is engaged in the give and take of scientific interaction. Researchers should understand that failure is going to happen, but they can use that failure as a stepping stone to discovery.”
Conflicts of Interest Disclosure: Dr. Charney is named as co-inventor on patents filed by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) relating to the treatment for treatment-resistant depression, suicidal ideation, and other disorders. ISMMS has entered into a licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and it has and will receive payments from Janssen under the license agreement related to these patents for the treatment of treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation under this agreement. Consistent with the ISMMS Faculty Handbook, Dr. Charney is entitled to a portion of the payments received by the ISMMS. Since SPRAVATO has received regulatory approval for treatment-resistant depression, ISMMS and thus, through the ISMMS, Dr. Charney will be entitled to additional payments, beyond those already received, under the license agreement.