History of Ketamine in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 22, 2025

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic with medical applications in anesthesia, depression treatment, and pain management. Its primary mechanism of action involves antagonizing NMDA receptors, contributing to its psychoactive effects. While valuable in controlled medical settings, ketamine's dissociative properties necessitate careful administration and monitoring.

1962: Ketamine Synthesized

In 1962, Ketamine was first synthesized from phencyclidine with the goal of creating a safer anesthetic that had fewer hallucinogenic effects.

1964: Ketamine Tested in Humans

In 1964, following promising preclinical research in animals, ketamine was tested in human prisoners, demonstrating its short duration of action and reduced behavioral toxicity compared to phencyclidine (PCP).

1970: FDA Approval and Use in Vietnam War

Following FDA approval in 1970, ketamine anesthesia was first given to American soldiers during the Vietnam War.

1970: FDA Approval

In 1970, Ketamine was approved for use in the United States, later used in veterinary medicine and extensively for surgical anesthesia during the Vietnam War.

2000: Discovery of Antidepressive Action

The discovery of the antidepressive action of ketamine in 2000 has been described as the single most important advance in the treatment of depression in more than 50 years.

2005: Deaths related to ketamine use

Between 2005 and 2013, recreational ketamine use has been implicated in more than 90 deaths in England and Wales. They include accidental poisonings, drownings, traffic accidents, and suicides.

2006: Banning of Apocalypse Culture

In 2006, the Russian edition of Adam Parfrey's Apocalypse Culture was banned and destroyed by authorities owing to its inclusion of an essay by Woodard about the entheogenic use of, and psychonautic experiences with, ketamine.

2011: Clinical Practice Guideline

In 2011, a clinical practice guideline supported the use of ketamine as a sedative in emergency medicine, particularly during physically painful procedures.

2012: Cochrane Review of Asthma Treatment

In 2012, a Cochrane review assessed ketamine's potential as a therapy for children with severe acute asthma and found minimal adverse effects, but the limited studies showed no significant benefit.

2013: Deaths related to ketamine use

Between 2005 and 2013, recreational ketamine use has been implicated in more than 90 deaths in England and Wales. They include accidental poisonings, drownings, traffic accidents, and suicides.

2018: Consensus Guidelines on Chronic Pain

In 2018, consensus guidelines on chronic pain indicated weak evidence supporting ketamine's use for spinal injury pain, moderate evidence for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), and weak or no evidence for other pain conditions.

2019: Ketamine Experiences and Near-Death Experiences

A 2019 study found a high degree of similarity between written reports of ketamine experiences and written reports of near-death experiences (NDEs).

2019: Esketamine Approved as Antidepressant

In 2019, esketamine (Spravato) was approved as an antidepressant by the European Medicines Agency. Also in 2019, it was approved as a nasal spray for treatment-resistant depression in the United States and elsewhere.

February 2022: FDA Alert on Compounded Nasal Spray

In February 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration issued an alert to healthcare professionals regarding compounded nasal spray products containing ketamine that were intended to treat depression.