Ketamine Treatment Centers Announces Name Change to Actify Neurotherapies and Expansion

PRINCETON, N.J., Nov. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ketamine Treatment Centers, a network of 10 medical centers across the United States, announces today that it will operate under a new name, Actify Neurotherapies™.

Actify Neurotherapies offers a revolutionary treatment for major depression and other mental illnesses, such as anxiety, bipolar depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as certain pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia. It was founded in 2011 by Dr. Steven Levine, a board-certified psychiatrist, who pioneered the clinical use of intravenous ketamine as a fast-acting alternative to other antidepressant medications, many of which have burdensome side effects and take weeks, even months, to work…or to determine that they are not working.

Ketamine was first introduced to the medical community as a surgical anesthetic more than 50 years ago. Used to treat depression it works differently than traditional antidepressants, which target the brain's serotonin and noradrenalin systems. Ketamine blocks N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), a receptor in the brain that is activated by glutamate, a neurotransmitter, and repairs the damage in the brain's synapses that is caused by mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. While not approved by the FDA to treat depression, the American Psychiatric Association has endorsed ketamine's off-label use, a common practice in all fields of medicine. And for good reason – its safety and effectiveness have been demonstrated in multiple research studies. In fact, 70% of those who get ketamine infusions show a response, typically after the first session.

Dissatisfied with the options available that take a long time to work and have troublesome side effects, Dr. Levine sought to find a better option. As the research on ketamine for depression progressed, but was not available outside of the research setting, he began to ask, "Why aren't we using this yet?" Dr. Levine was the first to offer ketamine treatments clinically, outside of research.

Since it opened in 2011 with a single treatment center in Princeton, NJ, Actify Neurotherapies has expanded into nine additional markets – all within the last two years. Three of the new treatment centers opened within the last two months: Beverly Hills, CA; New York, NY; and San Francisco, CA. The remaining treatment centers are located in Baltimore, MD; Denver, CO; Palm Beach, FL; Philadelphia, PA; Potomac, MD; and Raleigh, NC.

"I am committed to bringing this life-changing treatment, and others that are effective alternatives to commonly prescribed antidepressants, to more Americans who are suffering from debilitating mental illnesses," says Dr. Levine. In addition to offering ketamine infusions as a simple outpatient procedure, Actify Neurotherapies is beginning to offer Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and other options for depression.

Actify Neurotherapies' geographical expansion and extension of services reflect the company's dedication to providing access and relief to the more than five million Americans who battle with treatment resistant depression.

For additional information, please visit ActifyNeuro.com.

SOURCE Actify Neurotherapies