Pα+ Psychedelic Bulletin #203: Norway considers funding off-label ketamine for TRD, longevity hype around psilocybin, and debate over legal psychedelics

Off-label intravenous ketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD) moves toward possible public coverage in Norway as the Norwegian Medical Products Agency publishes a health technology assessment based on randomized trials, with evidence suggesting response improvements versus ECT and saline but with generally inconclusive long-term (>3 month) results. The bulletin notes practical and economic considerations, including a protocol already used at Østfold Hospital for hundreds of patients, and highlights that uptake would require clinician training, standardized protocols, psychotherapy and integration components, and safeguards for misuse and abuse. It also flags market and research signals: a “longevity crowd” promotional push around a psilocybin study that researchers urge to treat with caution, and broader competitive dynamics about whether state-legal psychedelics could pressure psychedelic drug developers.