Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Treatment & access
- Treatments offeredEsketamine infusion therapy (individual therapeutic trial for treatment-resistant depression, offered since 2014) · Esketamine nasal spray (approved for treatment-resistant depression and psychiatric emergency) · Multiprofessional inpatient treatment on a specialized unit for difficult-to-treat depression (ward 93-2) · Day clinic for chronic depressions · Outpatient clinic (Ambulanz) with online appointment booking · Participation in clinical trials
- Access routeprivate_pay
- Price informationPrices are not published on the provider's website; the university hospital provides general patient cost information pages but no fees for esketamine treatment.
- Phone+49 69 6301-3324 (patients, inpatient admission inquiries); +49 69 6301-5079 (outpatient clinic)
- Websitehttps://unimedizin-ffm.de
About this provider
The Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie at Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt (Universitätsmedizin Frankfurt) runs a dedicated inpatient unit for difficult-to-treat depression (ward 93-2) and has offered esketamine infusion therapy as an individual therapeutic trial for treatment-resistant depression since 2014, describing itself as the only clinic in Frankfurt to do so. It was a trial site and model clinic for esketamine nasal spray, approved for treatment-resistant depression and psychiatric emergency (German market launch for the emergency indication in April 2021), and collaborated on the ESCAPE-TRD study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2023. Care under director Prof. Dr. Andreas Reif includes an outpatient clinic, a day clinic for chronic depressions and access to clinical trials.
Services & programs
- Esketamine infusion therapyIntravenous esketamine (the S-enantiomer of ketamine, described by the clinic as similarly effective and somewhat better tolerated) offered since 2014 as an individual therapeutic trial for treatment-resistant depression on the specialized depression unit; the clinic reports numerous successfully treated patients and researches biomarkers of treatment response and relapse. Not published
- Esketamine nasal sprayIntranasal esketamine, approved in the indication treatment-resistant depression and psychiatric emergency; the clinic participated in the pre-approval clinical trials and serves as a model clinic for establishing the treatment. Not published
- Specialized unit for difficult-to-treat depression (ward 93-2)Inpatient unit for hard-to-treat depression within a university department whose clinical focus areas include mood disorders, bipolar disorders, adult ADHD, schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, qualified alcohol withdrawal and somatoform disorders, with guideline-based multiprofessional care and interdisciplinary access to the full university hospital. Not published
- Outpatient clinic and day clinicOutpatient clinic (Ambulanz) with online appointment booking and prescription ordering, open Monday–Thursday 8:00–16:45 and Friday 8:00–16:15; a day clinic for chronic depressions has been opened. Not published
Programs & studies
| Program | Kind | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Esketamine infusion programme (ward 93-2) | esketamine_iv | active |
| Esketamine nasal spray implementation | esketamine_nasal | active |
| Day clinic for chronic depressions | day_clinic | active |
| Clinical studies | research | recruiting |
Pricing
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Esketamine treatment (infusion or nasal spray) | Not published |
Facilities & languages
- Facilities
- Specialized inpatient unit 93-2 for difficult-to-treat depression
- Outpatient clinic with online appointment booking (Mon–Thu 8:00–16:45, Fri 8:00–16:15)
- Day clinic for chronic depressions
- Part of the Zentrum für psychische Gesundheit at Heinrich-Hoffmann-Straße 10, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, with interdisciplinary access to all university hospital departments
- LanguagesWebsite in German; the hospital's International Office provides a contact form in German, English and Russian for international patients.
- TeamDepartment directed by Prof. Dr. med. Andreas Reif, first author of the ESCAPE-TRD esketamine study (NEJM 2023). Multiprofessional teams of physicians, psychologists, pharmacists, social workers, ergo- and exercise therapists and nursing staff; the department holds further-training authorizations in psychiatry and psychotherapy.
Common questions
What does esketamine treatment cost and does insurance pay?
The clinic's website does not publish prices for esketamine therapy. General information on hospital-stay costs is available on the hospital's patient information pages, and cost questions are handled through the admission process.
How do I get admitted for treatment?
For inpatient admission inquiries, patients can call 069 6301-3324 and referring physicians 069 6301-2224. The outpatient clinic is reachable at 069 6301-5079 during phone hours (Mon–Fri 8:00–14:00), with an urgent-case line (069 6301-4806) Mon–Fri 14:00–16:00; online appointment booking is available.
Is the esketamine treatment inpatient or outpatient?
Esketamine infusion therapy is provided on the specialized inpatient unit for difficult-to-treat depression (ward 93-2). The clinic also runs an outpatient clinic and a day clinic for chronic depressions covering other parts of the care pathway.
What does the treatment involve and how fast does it work?
Esketamine is the S-enantiomer of ketamine, given intravenously as an individual therapeutic trial or as an approved nasal spray. The clinic's pages cite study evidence of a rapid antidepressant effect — within hours after a single subanaesthetic intravenous dose — via NMDA-receptor blockade and enhanced synaptic plasticity (BDNF-mediated synaptoneogenesis).
Can I take part in clinical studies?
Yes. The clinic actively recruits participants for clinical studies and links its research on mood disorders directly to its clinical services, including biomarker research within the esketamine programme.
Verification
- License / registryPublic trial registry (ClinicalTrials.gov / EU CTIS)
- Sourcehttps://unimedizin-ffm.de
- Last verified