A growing number of studies suggest that the use of ketamine, which is approved for use as an anesthetic, might also be helpful in areas where antidepressants have fallen short. This expanding need, and a changing perception of the value of psychedelics as medications might explain why companies such as Nue Life, a next-generation mental wellness startup, are emerging.
Synthesized in 1962, ketamine is a newer drug compared with others in the class of psychedelics with potential for therapeutic effects. There’s ecstasy, a.k.a. MDMA, which was first developed in 1912. Then came dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in 1931 and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in 1938.
