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Treating rare disorders with ketamine

PharmaTher Granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Ketamine to Treat Status Epilepticus

PharmaTher (PHRM) is developing a treatment for a rare, seizure-inducing disorder called Status Epilepticus using ketamine. This week, it was granted a designation that will save them millions of dollars in the process. 

It’s called an Orphan Drug Designation and it gives the company potential tax credits, grant eligibility, and marketing exclusivity, and waives a $2.4M New Drug Application fee. It’s designed to incentivize R&D of treatments for rare conditions.

PharmaTher previously received the designation for ketamine to treat ALS and complex regional pain syndrome too!

PharmaTher Inc.

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It might be time to switch your meds

Classic Psychedelic Coadministration with Lithium, but Not Lamotrigine, is Associated with Seizures: An Analysis of Online Psychedelic Experience Reports

If you take this medication, you may want to avoid psychedelics.

A new analysis from Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that psychedelics could increase seizure risk in people taking lithium, a common bipolar medication. The researchers analyzed online self-reports from sites like Reddit and Shroomery and found that 29 of 62 reports combining the drugs resulted in seizures, and an additional 11 reported bad trips.

On the bright side, there were no reports of seizures or bad trips out of the 34 cases involving psychedelics and a different bipolar medication called lamotrigine.

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